Sundling, Ribom, Svahn — Can anyone break the Swedish Sprint stranglehold in Ruka?

On Saturday, the program features a sprint day, starting with qualification rounds followed by the heats at 12:30 PM. The women’s sprints have been dominated by the Swedes, and there’s no indication that this will change, as Norway’s Kristine Stavaas Skistad is out due to abdominal surgery. 

Last year’s Sprint Cup winner Linn Svahn impressed with her performance in Friday’s 10 km classic race, where she finished 10th. Svahn stood on the podium in every sprint competition last season, except for the events in Ruka and Lahti. 

From Sweden’s powerhouse sprint team, last year’s sprint winner and Friday’s birthday girl Emma Ribom, along with Jonna Sundling, both finished in the top 20 on Friday. A Swedish sweep of the podium wouldn’t be a surprise, especially in the classic sprints. 

Frida Karlsson, who won the World Cup opening race with ease, will likely race for Sweden in the sprint event as well. Last season, she managed to reach the podium in the classic sprint.

Norway’s Beitosprinten podium trio, led by Ane Appelkvist Stenseth, is heading to Ruka’s World Cup in search of a place in the finals. The Udnes Weng sisters, Tiril and Lotta, kicked off their World Cup season on Friday, but didn’t find success in the classic event. 

Finnish hopes are focused on Jasmi Joensuu, who’s in great shape and finished 15th in Friday’s classic race. Sprinting is Joensuu’s main focus for the Ruka World Cup, and she’s aiming for her first podium — something that’s not out of reach given her current form. 

While Swedish dominance is expected, the gap between the top athletes is narrow. It will be interesting to see if anyone from outside the Nordic countries can break into the top six.

Teksti: Sanja Karhunen
Kuva: Ruka Nordic