Olympic champion Lynn Swan from Sweden will not participate in the final 50 km mass start at the 2026 Winter Games in Italy. At the same time, the performance of another team leader, Frida Karlsson, remains uncertain due to the athlete's deteriorating health, NRK reports.
The final women's event on the ski racing program at the Olympic Games in Italy will be the 50 km mass start. Sweden planned to field four athletes in the distance, choosing from five skiers: Frida Karlsson, Abby Andersson, Jonna Sundling, Lynn Swan and Emma Riebom.
At the same time, the personnel situation in the Swedish team became more complicated on the eve of the start. Swan, the Olympic sprint champion, did not make it to the race entry due to illness, and Karlsson also had health problems.
The reason for Swan's failure to enter the race is attributed to the effects of an illness she has been battling for the past week. The coaching staff decided not to risk the skier's health, given the difficulty of the course.
Frida Karlsson, the reigning world champion in this distance and a two-time gold medalist at the current Games, is currently under medical supervision. On Friday morning, February 20, she developed mild cold symptoms, which led to the cancellation of a planned training session. A decision on her direct participation in Sunday's race will be made on the day of the start, depending on the dynamics of her recovery.
The Swedish team currently has three athletes confirmed to participate: Andersson, Sundling, and Riebom.
The women's mass start will be the final discipline of the biathlon program of the 2026 Olympics. The race will take place on Sunday, February 22 (starting at 11:00).