Swedish crash makes way for Norway to win 1st women's cross-country gold in relay at Milan Cortina
Heidi Weng, of Norway, celebrates after winning the gold medal in the cross country skiing women's 4 x 7.5km relay at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. Credit: AP/Matthias Schrader
TESERO, Italy — An early Swedish crash cleared the way for rival Norway to snatch its first women’s cross‑country gold in a relay on Saturday at the Milan Cortina Games.
Ebba Andersson tumbled and broke her ski in the second leg, giving Norway the advantage on a day where warm weather caused slushy corners that created havoc in the early stages.
Andersson slipped twice before the bad fall that cost the Swedes more than a minute in the race. The 28-year-old pushed forward on one ski before being handed a replacement, and her teammates fought back to finish with the silver.
In the stands, Norway fans celebrated by holding up red hearts for Valentine's Day.
Norway anchor Heidi Weng crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 15 minutes and 44.8 seconds to win the 4 x 7.5 kilometer relay, 50.9 seconds ahead of Sweden. Finland took bronze 1 minute, 14.7 seconds behind the winners.
“This is not the way I had imagined the race,” Weng said. “I told myself not to go all out from the start, to just find a good rhythm and enjoy being out there. Most importantly, it was to stay on my feet on the downhills.”
Jessie Diggins, anchoring the United States, finished fifth 1 minute, 52.2 behind Norway.
Astrid Oeyre Slind, of Norway, tags teammate Karoline Simpson-Larsen, right, during the cross country skiing women's 4 x 7.5km relay at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. Credit: AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth
Weng was wrapped in a Norwegian flag by teammates as she crossed the finish line and the team later consoled Andersson with a hug before the medal ceremony.
Despite the fightback, the Swedes, who had one all three previous races, were inconsolable.
“My body is OK but my heart is not,” Andersson said. “I can’t blame anyone but myself. I didn’t act well enough in that moment. Then we had the worst possible bad luck with the broken ski. It was mostly panic and chaos through that entire leg.”
Teammate Jonna Sundling, who anchored the race to second place, also appeared downcast in the heavy post-race rain, but said the team did well to recover.
Ebba Andersson, of Sweden, tags teammate Frida Karlsson, right, during the cross country skiing women's 4 x 7.5km relay at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. Credit: AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth
“Before the race, I reminded myself that you never really know what you’re heading out into,” she said. “After what happened during the race, not every team would have been able to handle that.”
The conditions caused a group of chasing athletes to go tumbling on the first bend at Tesero, northern Italy.
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