Sweden’s women overwhelm Olympic cross-country field with seven of nine medals so far

VAL DI FIEMME, Italy (AP) - Sweden's women are showcasing their dominance on the Olympic cross-country trails of northern Italy.

With Frida Karlsson's gold-medal performance on Thursday, the Swedes have now claimed seven of the nine medals awarded in women's races at the Milan Cortina Games.

Karlsson delivered a big victory in the 10-kilometer interval start on Thursday, opening a lead of more than 45 seconds - a margin rarely seen at the Olympics.

She finished in 22 minutes, 49.2 seconds, ahead of teammate Ebba Andersson to secure another Swedish 1-2 finish. Jessie Diggins of the United States won bronze.

"It's a crazy gap. She's from another world these days," Andersson said. "I'm just impressed."

The margin underscored Karlsson's control - and Sweden's supremacy - as she steadily built her advantage with hill surges and disciplined technique that left four elite Norwegian contenders holding spots in the top 10 but unable to pose a threat.

"It felt really good in my body and I found a good rhythm. It felt like I was being carried forward by our coaches," the 26-year-old Karlsson said. "The crowd was amazing, too.

"When I crossed the finish line, I sort of groaned. That's when I felt the pain - after it was over."

The blue-and-yellow Swedish flag has become a familiar sight at the Tesero cross-country track in northern Italy's Dolomite mountains while fans and athletes belt out the national anthem, its lyrics praising "the loveliest land on earth."

Karlsson also captured gold in the 20-kilometer skiathlon at this year's Olympics, with Andersson again taking silver. In the women's sprint classic, Sweden swept the podium: Linn Svahn won gold ahead of Jonna Sundling and Maja Dahlqvist.

The victories have fostered confidence.

After Thursday's race, Andersson emerged laughing and wearing a gold party hat with "To Frida" scrawled on it in marker. She described a very different mindset from her previous Olympics in Beijing four years ago, when she won bronze in the relay.

"In Beijing, it felt like I was putting on armor. I was going out to war," she said. "It was all about results.

"Now it's different. I honestly feel so good here," Andersson said. "I just feel like, 'When do we get to race again?' I want to put the bib on again soon. That's how it feels in my body."

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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics