As the 2026 Winter Olympics approach in Milan Cortina, Italy, top cross-country athletes from Norway, the United States and Sweden are finalizing preparations for events starting February 7. Norwegian star Johannes Høsflot Klæbo aims to extend his dominance, while American standout Jessie Diggins enters her final Games as the world’s top-ranked skier. The Swedish team has implemented early isolation measures to ensure peak condition.
The 2026 Winter Olympics, set for February 6 to 22 in Milan Cortina, Italy, will feature cross-country skiing at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium in Val di Fiemme. The competition kicks off with the women’s 10 km classic + 10 km freestyle skiathlon on February 7, followed by men’s events and sprints through the marathon distances.
Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, 29, enters as the most decorated athlete in the sport’s history with 107 World Cup wins, seven Olympic medals including five golds, and six golds from the 2025 World Championships in Trondheim. “I don’t think this is healthy over time,” Klæbo said after his world championship sweep, reflecting on the isolation required to avoid illness. He trains in Park City, Utah, at high altitude to build endurance for events like the 50 km skiathlon.
The United States team is led by Jessie Diggins of St. Paul, Minnesota, who won gold in the 2018 team sprint, silver and bronze in 2022, and tops the current World Cup distance standings with three victories this season. Diggins, in her fourth and final Olympics, announced her retirement in November, calling her last races “Jessie’s last lap” in Lake Placid. Teammates include Lauren Jortberg, who qualified for the classic sprint after winning the U.S. Super Tour in Anchorage and placing 31st at the January 24 World Cup in Goms, Switzerland. “I’m just really focusing on how cool the opportunity is,” Jortberg said. Other roster members are Julia Kern, Rosie Brennan, Sammy Smith, Gus Schumacher (10th overall in World Cup), Ben Ogden and J.C. Schoonmaker.
Sweden’s national team is taking precautions by isolating athletes for 48 hours upon arrival, with separate rooms to monitor for symptoms. “Everyone will live in separate rooms for the next 48 hours as most symptoms will be shown by then,” team doctor Rickard Noberius told Reuters. The measure, not due to suspected illnesses, ensures readiness for the skiathlon opener.
These preparations highlight the blend of talent, resilience and caution defining cross-country skiing’s elite level.
