Swedish crash makes way for Norway to win 1st women’s cross-country gold in relay at Milan Cortina

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TESERO, Italy (AP) — A broken ski and a slushy course upended the women’s cross‑country relay Saturday, sending Norway to victory as powerhouse Sweden suffered a Valentine’s Day heartbreak at the Milan Cortina Games. Ebba Andersson tumbled and snapped the ski binding 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 Valentine's hearts.

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.

Rainfall and tough course conditions forced many athletes to race cautiously at Tesero, northern Italy. A group of chasing athletes tumbled on the first bend.

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 crestfallen.

“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.”

Sweden had started the race as strong favorites, having won seven out of nine medals in the women's cross country competition.

Their winning caliber was on display in the freestyle half of the relay: Frida Karlsson and anchor Jonna Sundling pushed past six other teams in medal contention, overtaking Finland in the final ascent.

“Before the race, I reminded myself that you never really know what you’re heading out into,” Sundling said. “After what happened during the race, not every team would have been able to handle that.”

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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics