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FIS may call it “sprinting,” but a Team Sprint is not sprinting . . . a Team Sprint consists of a max-effort qualifying round, a max+ effort final round, all these laps for each teammate with points, prize money, and national pride on the line? Exhausting, to say the least.
“Sprinting,” as the world knows it, is an endeavor epitomized by short, singular, full-speed efforts. True sprinters (like the rippling-muscled fashion-show athletes of international track and field) are pure fast-twitch athletes—only good for a couple hundred yards (at most) followed by days and days of pathetic convalescence. The sprinters lining up for the FIS World Cup Team Sprint in Davos may be epically fast, but what they’re doing is really not sprinting. It’s a much longer effort than that, compounded by the requirement of each team member to deliver multiple sprint efforts in multiple rounds. That’s why the best Team Sprint teams are made up of “sprinters” who also have serious abilities when it comes to distance events. Gentle readers, allow us to introduce you to the Swedish Women’s National Team . . .
Swedish women sprinters have a history of being fastest on Sprint day, and contending—sometimes even winning—on distance days. Jonna Sundling stomped on the whole world on her way to a Sprint victory in Lillehammer’s Sprint World Cup, then nearly skied her way onto the distance podium, as well. Two-time Sprint World Cup overall champion, Linn Svahn, was a contender throughout the 2024 Tour de Ski (including the climb to the top of Alpe Cermis). Maja Dahlqvist won the World Cup Sprint title in 2022 and 2023, while regularly contending in distance races and winning not one but TWO medals in 4 x 5 k Olympic Relays. Stina Nilsson was the best sprint athlete in the skiing world (and also had numerous top finishes in distance events), until she was undone in the final meters of the finishing straightaway of the 2018 Olympic Team Sprint in Pyeoung Chang. The skier who overtook her for the gold medal was a distance skier: USA’s Jessie Diggins (partnered with the indefatigable Kikkan Randall).
For cross country skiers, “sprinting” is a different thing. It represents the most exhausting day of any on the World Cup calendar requiring every bit of talent, every bit of speed, and every bit of endurance that an athlete possesses. And Davos, Switzerland, is the stage with the brightest Sprint-spotlight of the entire World Cup season.
On Friday in Davos, Team Sweden—Ema Ribom and Sundling—continued to show the sort of dominance that fans have come to expect. Sweden knew they had only to deliver Sundling to the front with one lap remaining—then she would be likely to take care of the rest. And that is precisely what they did, cruising to the victory and collecting the winners’ spoils. Behind them, Norway’s all ’rounders—Astrid Oeyre Slind and Kristin Austgulen Fosnaes—would show their mettle in finishing second, ahead of Switzerland—Nadine Faehndrich and Anja Weber—in third place in front of a cheering Swiss crowd.
Rosie Brennan and Julia Kern comprised USA 1 and advanced to the final with a terrific second place finish in qualifying (2.72 seconds behind pre-race favorites, Sweden). USA 1 would fade in the final round, ultimately finishing seventh.
“It was an absolute blast to race with Rosie today,” said Kern. “We were really excited to team up and throw down. It’s always a fun day to do a Team Sprint: such an action-packed event, a really fun format, and really fun to do it together as a team.”
“I just feel better training racing at altitude than I do at sea level,” said Brennan. “I like coming here for that reason. I get to feel more like myself.”
Lauren Jortberg and Erin Bianco comprised USA 2, finishing 16th in qualifying, a single spot out of advancing to the heats. Canada was represented by Sonjaa Schmidt and Liliane Gagnon who finished sixth in qualifying. They would continue to show their speed, endurance, and tactical acumen in the final round, finishing in a wonderful fifth place.
Women’s Team Sprint
Davos is a long and exhausting weekend of racing; many of the field’s top sprinters elected NOT to contest the Team Sprint hoping, we presume, to enjoy advantages over those sprinters who contested the Team Sprint. Team USA’s top contender, Diggins. decided to sit this one out, as did Norwegian sprint ace Kristina Stavas Skistad (still recovering from recent abdominal surgery) and numerous Swedish sprint stars. Norway fielded only one team, comprised of non-sprinters Fosnaes and Slind. In the absence of so many of the most powerful sprinters, all other podium places (and the rich point totals that accompanied) were definitely up for grabs.
Davos’ Team Sprints took place under the lights (a nice, reasonable start time for North American viewers for a change!): Clear night skies greeted the racers. Temperatures hovered in the mid 20s Fahrenheit with snow conditions firm and fair . . . let the games begin.
After qualifying, Team Sprints progress as a 15-team final round, a daunting crowd of skis and poles, steep climbs and sharp corners. Ribom led off, followed by Sundling, seemingly following the typical Team Sprint advice of holding the true sprinter for the final leg. USA 1 started in third position led off by Brennan who quickly droped to mid-pack. Though it’s called a sprint, it’s definitely a long trek. Brennan, the cagey veteran, moved right back to the front on the second lap around the Davos Sprint course. She made the tag to Kern, who exited the exchange zone in a close second place behind Sundling.
“It definitely felt pretty hard from the beginning,” said Kern. “It’s such a tight, turny course; I felt like it was hard to relax today because you’re constantly trying to find a window to pick off another position.”
Faehndrich and Slind pushed the pace mid-race, chased by Sweden 1 and Finland 1’s Jasmi Joensu. Kern worked gamely to remain in the top group while Brennan skied tremendously each time up the Sprint course hill, pushing Team USA back into contention on each lap. An errant line in Brennan’s final turn of her last leg allowed Germany to slip by on the inside. Kern began her final lap in fifth.
“Gradual uphills are definitely one of my strengths,” Brennan said. “So I was trying to use that to make up places where I could. Maybe some combination of having raced this course a lot and trying to play to my strengths was a bit my strategy.”
Sundling, Fosnaes , and Jasmin Kahara (FIN) continued to drive the pace as Kern faded. The final time up the hill, Sundling showed why she is such a fearsome sprinter, hop-skating up the slope to establish a considerable gap over her pursuers. Sweden would charge forward to take a convincing win ahead of a surprisingly resilient Norway and crowd-favorite Switzerland. Team Canada kept up the momentum they’d established in qualifying, finishing fifth. Team USA finished seventh.
“We don’t do a lot of Team Sprints,”Brennan said. “So I don’t have a lot of experience to know at the end of the day what the “load” is going to be like and how it’s going to impact the rest of the weekend. Obviously, you could tell there were a lot of people who chose to sit out, but After a lackluster weekend last weekend, I kind of felt I needed to give myself some race starts . . . and I really wanted to do the Team Sprint because it is kind of that combination of endurance and power and speed. I felt that would be really good for me. I also wanted to do a race where I was racing for more than myself, and racing for Julia always makes me put a little bit more into it. For me, I felt the Team was worth the potential fatigue. Maybe I’ll change my mind come tomorrow or the next day, but for now I’m thankful for that opportunity.”
“I felt a little flat out there today,” said Kern. “I’m hoping more of the speed comes tomorrow. I feel like it’s been an up-and-down Period 1, but last weekend was a good indicator that I’m starting to round the corner.”
After an exhausting day of sprinting, the World Cup returns to Davos on Saturday and Sunday. Some of today’s sprinters may contend in those events, but they’ll be facing many other athletes with fresh arms and legs. No lengthy convalescence for these sprinters . . .
Davos Women’s Team Sprint RESULTS
Davos Women’s Team Sprint QUALIFYING
John Teaford
John Teaford—the Managing Editor of FasterSkier — has been the coach of Olympians, World Champions, and World Record Holders in six sports: Nordic skiing, speedskating, road cycling, track cycling, mountain biking, triathlon. In his long career as a writer/filmmaker, he spent many seasons as Director of Warren Miller’s annual feature film, and Producer of adventure documentary films for Discovery, ESPN, Disney, National Geographic, and NBC Sports.
