Sweden's women's ice hockey team, the Damkronorna, defeated France 4-0 in the Winter Olympics, securing advancement to the quarterfinals. It was the team's third straight win in the tournament, with three goals in the first period laying the foundation for victory. Defenseman Jenna Raunio was forced to leave due to a hit, but it involves precautionary measures due to a previous concussion.
In Milan during the 2026 Winter Olympics, Sweden's women's team crushed France 4-0 on Sunday, February 8. The win came as expected and marked the team's third straight triumph in group play. Sweden set the tone in the first period with three goals in 20 minutes, effectively deciding the match. The goals were scored by Lisa Johansson, Hanna Thuvik, Sara Hjalmarsson, and Thea Johansson, who notched her fourth goal in the tournament and leads the scoring.
The shot statistics highlighted Swedish dominance: 49-14 in Sweden's favor. The match was gritty with several penalties, but the Damkronorna held comfortably. 'It gets a bit challenging. We have a lot of puck and try to keep the pace up and be precise,' said defenseman Maja Nylén-Persson in SVT's broadcast. She added: 'We try to maintain good habits. We are in a process and want to build match by match.'
The victory secured a top-three finish in the group and thus a quarterfinal spot. Sweden is charging toward the group win, as Japan needs to win its remaining games to challenge. A potential first place could mean avoiding Canada and the USA in the quarterfinals.
A concern was 19-year-old defenseman Jenna Raunio, who took a hit early in the first period and did not return. Team doctor Wille Ahnberg explains: 'She is fine, but given her history with a concussion from the 2022 World Juniors, we take the utmost precaution and let her rest. There are no new symptoms.' SVT expert Jonas Andersson emphasizes: 'If Sweden loses Raunio, it would be a huge setback.'
The Damkronorna have now scored 14 goals and conceded only two in the tournament. 'It has looked great,' says expert Maria Rooth. The next match is against Japan on February 10 at 12:10.
