TESERO, Italy (AP) — An early Swedish crash cleared the way for rival Norway to snatch its first women’s cross‑country win in a relay showdown at the Milan Cortina Games.
Norway held the advantage Saturday after Ebba Andersson tumbled and broke her ski in the second leg but her Swedish teammates fought back to finish second. In the stands, Norway fans celebrated 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.
Jessie Diggins, anchoring the United States, finished fifth 1 minute, 52.2 behind Norway.
Warm weather and slushy corners caused havoc in early stages of the race, a group of chasing athletes tumbling on the first bend at Tesero, northern Italy.
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.
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.
“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.”
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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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