Linn Svahn Wins 10km Classic at Lake Placid

Svahn beats Karlsson to gold in Lake Placid

Linn Svahn edges out Frida Karlsson to win the 10km classic at Lake Placid, USA. Svahn claims gold, Karlsson silver in thrilling 10km classic finish.

Heidi Weng takes bronze as Svahn and Karlsson battle for top spot...

Sweden's women's cross-country skiing team kicked off the 2025/26 FIS Cross-country World Cup finals in style at Lake Placid, with Linn Svahn edging out teammate Frida Karlsson to claim the 10km classic gold. Svahn proved she's a cut above the rest, finishing the course more than two minutes ahead of Estonia's Kaidy Kaasiku, who had the previous fastest time.

Svahn's winning time was an impressive 29:04.4, showcasing her dominance on the course. With this win, she's setting the tone for a strong finish to the World Cup tour.

Svahn's wait was nail-biting, especially with big hitters like Karlsson still out on the course. Karlsson had beaten Svahn to gold in Lahti earlier this month and had also won the 50km mass start in Oslo last weekend, so he was definitely someone to watch.

One by one, Svahn's rivals finished, but none managed to surpass the sprint gold medallist from Milan-Cortina. Karlsson came closest, finishing 1.4 seconds behind Svahn to take silver. Norway's Heidi Weng rounded out the podium, 22.1 seconds off the pace. 

Moa Ilar finished eighth, while Sweden's strong squad also featured Jonna Sundling, Emma Ribom, and Maja Dahlqvist, all of whom made it into the top 17. Ilar's result keeps her in second place in the overall World Cup standings.

Not this time Frida 🥶 Prime Linn Svahn — absolute pure classic touch in brutal conditions 💙 #fiscrosscountry #wintersport #worldcuplakeplacid pic.twitter.com/EMbIx8TOwo

— FIS Cross-Country (@FISCrossCountry) March 20, 2026

However, America's Jessie Diggins was the real story, confirming her third World Cup title on home turf. Diggins was faster than Ilar, cementing her top spot in the rankings. 

Johannes Hosflot Klaebo made a winning return from his concussion break, taking the top spot in the men's 10km event with a time of 26:44.5. The Norwegian superstar picked up where he left off, dominating the field at Lake Placid.

The Norwegians were on fire, taking the top five spots, with Andreas Fjorden Ree and Mattis Stenshagen claiming silver and bronze, respectively. The action doesn't stop there - the men's and women's sprint freestyle races are up next on Saturday (21st).