Karlsson storms to Holmenkollen 50km win on 'magic day' for Sweden

Sweden’s Frida Karlsson crushed the competition in the Women’s 50km Mass Start Free at the Coop FIS Cross-Country World Cup in Oslo, Norway, on Saturday, crossing the finish line to claim victory by a margin of almost two minutes.

In the thick mist at the iconic Holmenkollen venue, KARLSSON looked like she was back in the shape that won her two gold medals and a silver at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

Around the 35km mark, the 26-year-old set off on her own and kept increasing the gap to the rest of the field.

She claimed victory one minute and 48 seconds ahead of her teammate and close friend Linn Svahn in second place. Jonna Sundling, who won Thursday’s Sprint Classic in Drammen, Norway, completed the all-Swedish podium, 0.4 seconds behind Svahn.

”It’s such a magic day for our team,” Karlsson said.

For the first 30km of the longest race of the season, the three Swedes had been part of a seven-woman front group, together with home skiers Heidi Weng (NOR), Karoline Groetting (NOR) and Nora Sanness (NOR), as well as Overall World Cup leader Jessie Diggins (USA).

After Karlsson’s departure, the front pack turned into a group of six fighting for the two remaining podium positions, with Svahn and Sundling showing why they won gold and silver in the Milano Cortina 2026 Sprint.

”We had some different tactics in our evening meeting yesterday, but it couldn’t have ended any better,” said Karlsson, who won the event in Classic style two years ago.

This time, however, the Holmenkollen 50km party had a different twist, as the women’s race started on the same course 45 minutes after the men’s race, meaning men’s and women’s skiers spent part of the race on the tracks at the same time.

”It was cool,” Karlsson said.

”We met them sometimes and I was like, should I cheer for them also? I think it was a great concept.”

Weng finished in fourth place, 1.2 seconds behind Sundling, while Groetting made it two Norwegians among the top five. Diggins finished sixth in the last Holmenkollen 50km race of her career, with Sanness claiming seventh place, just under two minutes behind Karlsson.

Switzerland’s Nadja Kaelin was fastest in the second chase group and claimed eighth place, 3:03.9 behind Karlsson.

The World Cup action continues next weekend, with the season’s concluding stage in Lake Placid, United States.

Click here for full results from the Women’s 50km Mass Start Free, here for the Women’s Overall World Cup standings and here to follow FIS Cross-Country on Youtube.