The race with the biggest favorite in the Olympic cross-country skiing in Val di Fiemme. Norway is so much better than the others that the relays have been removed from the World Cup program. 

The other nations must fight for silver – unless the Norwegian team has an accident in the race. 

Sunday, February 15: 4×7.5km Relay C/F Men (More information can be found HERE)

• 12:00 CET: 4×7.5km Relay C/F, Men

The start list can be found HERE 

ABOUT SUNDAY’S RACE 

This is the first time the Olympic relay is skied over 4×7.5km. After the start of the World Championships back in 1933, the distance has always been 4x10km. But because of equal gender distances, it has been shortened to 7.5km per leg. 

The first two legs are skied in the classic technique, then the last two in freestyle technique (skating). 

Through the years, different nations have dominated the men’s relay. Finland was the strongest nation in the very beginning. Russia has had periods of strength, and Sweden was the dominant nation in the 1980’s. 

But in recent years, it has been all about Norway. Unbeaten at the World Championships on this side of the millennium. 

Men’s Olympic Champions — 4x10km Relay 

• 1936: Finland, (Sulo Nurmela, Kleas Karppinen, Matti Lähde, Kalle Jalkanen) 
• 1948: Sweden, (Nils Östensson, Nils Täpp, Gunnar Eriksson, Martin Lundström) 
• 1952: Finland, (Heikki Hasu, Paaavo Lonkila, Urpo Korhonen, Taspio Mäkelä) 
• 1956: Soviet Union, (Fjodor Terentjev, Pavel Koltsjin, Nikolj Anikin, Vladimir Kuzin) 
• 1960: Finland, (Toimi Alatalo, Eero Mäntyranta, Väinö Huhtala, Veikko Hakulinen) 
• 1964: Sweden, (Karl-Åke Asph, Sixten Jernberg, Janne Stanfsson, Assar Rönnlund) 
• 1968: Norway, (Odd Martinsen, Pål Tyldum, Harald Grønningen, Ole Ellefsæter) 
• 1972: Soviet Union, (Vladimir Voronkov, Jurij Skobov, Fjodor Simasjov, Vjatjeslav Vedenin) 
• 1976: Finland, (Matti Pitkänen, Juha Mieto, Pertti Teurajärvi, Arto Koivisto) 
• 1980: Soviet Union, (Vasilij Rotchev, Nikolaj Bazjukov, Evgenij Beljajev, Nikolaj Zimjatov) 
• 1984: Sweden, (Thomas Wassberg, Benny Kohlberg, Jan Ottosson, Gunde Svan) 
• 1988: Sweden, (Jan Ottosson, Thomas Wassberg, Gunde Svan, Torgny Mogren) 
• 1992: Norway, (Terje Langli, Vegard Ulvang, Kristen Skjeldal, Bjørn Dæhlie) 
• 1994: Italy, (Maurilio De Zolt, Marco Albarello, Giorgio Vanzetta, Silvio Fauner) 
• 1998: Norway, (Sture Sivertsen, Erling Jevne, Bjørn Dæhlie, Thomas Alsgaard) 
• 2002: Norway, (Anders Aukland, Frode Estil, Kristen Skjeldal, Thomas Alsgaard) 
• 2006: Italy, (Fulvio Valbusa, Giorgio Di Centa, Pietro Piller Cottrer, Cristian Zorzi) 
• 2010: Sweden, (Daniel Rickardsson, Johan Olsson, Anders Södergren, Marcus Hellner) 
• 2014: Sweden, (Lars Nelson, Daniel Rickardsson, Johan Olsson, Marcus Hellner) 
• 2018: Norway, (Didrik Tønseth, Martin Johnsrud Sundby, Simen Hegstad Krüger, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo) 
• 2022: Russia, (Aleksej Tsjervotkin, Alexander Bolshunov, Denis Spitsov, Sergej Ustiugov) 

Men’s World Champions — Relay (4x10km 1933-2023, 4×7.5km 2025–) 

• 1933: Sweden, (Per-Erik Hedlund, Sven Utterström, Nils-Joel Englund, Hjalmar Bergström) 
• 1934: Finland, (Sulo Nurmela, Klaes Karppinen, Martti Lappalainen, Veli Saarinen) 
• 1935: Finland, (Mikko Husu, Klaes Karppinen, Väinö Liikkanen, Sulo Nurmela) 
• 1937: Norway, (Annar Ryen, Oskar Fredriksen, Sigurd Røen, Lars Bergendahl) 
• 1938: Finland, (Jussi Kurikkala, Martti lauronen, Pauli Pitkänen, Klaes Karppinen) 
• 1939: Finland, (Pauli Pitkänen, Olavi Alakulppi, Eino Olkinuora, Klaes Karppinen) 
• 1950: Sweden, (Nils Täpp, Karl-Erik Åström, Martin Lundström, Enar Josefsson) 
• 1954: Finland, (August Kiuru, Tapio Mäkälä, Arvo Viitanen, Veikko Hakulinen) 
• 1958: Sweden, (Sixten Jernberg, Lennart Larsson, Sture Grahn, Per-Erik Larsson) 
• 1962: Sweden, (Lars Olsson, Sture Frahn, Sixten Jernberg, Assar Rönnlund) 
• 1966: Norway, (Odd Martinsen, Harald Grønningen, Ole Ellefsæter, Gjermund Eggen) 
• 1970: Soviet Union, (Vladimir Voronkov, Valerij Takanov, Fjodor Simasjev, Vjatsjeslav Vedenin) 
• 1974 DDR, (Gerd Hessler, Dieter Meinel, Gerhard Grimmer, Gert-Dietmar Klause) 
• 1978 Sweden, (Sven-Åke Lundbäck, Christer Johansson, Tommy Limby, Thomas Magnusson) 
• 1982 Norway, (Lars Erik Eriksen, Ove Aunli, Pål Gunnar Mikkelsplass, Oddvar Brå) and Soviet Union, (Vladimir Nikitin, Aleksandr Batiuk, Juri Burlakov, Aleksandr Zavjalov) 
• 1985 Norway, (Arild Monsen, Pål Gunnar Mikkelsplass, Tor Håkon Holte, Ove Aunli) 
• 1987 Sweden, (Erik Östlund, Gunde Svan, Thomas Wassberg, Torgny Mogren) 
• 1989 Sweden, (Christer Majbäck, Gunde Svan, Lars Håland, Torgny Mogren) 
• 1991 Norway, (Øyvind Skaanes, Terje Langli, Vegard Ulvang, Bjørn Dæhlie) 
• 1993 Norway, (Sture Sivertsen, Vegard Ulvang, Terje Langli, Bjørn Dæhlie) 
• 1995 Norway, (Sture Sivertsen, Erling Jevne, Bjørn Dæhlie, Thomas Alsgaard) 
• 1997 Norway, (Sture Sivertsen, Erling Jevne, Bjørn Dæhlie, Thomas Alsgaard) 
• 1999 Austria, (Markus Gandler, Alois Stadlober, Mikhail Botvinov, Christian Hoffmann) 
• 2001 Norway, (Frode Estil, Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset, Thomas Alsgaard, Tor-Arne Hetland) 
• 2003 Norway, (Anders Aukland, Frode Estil, Tore Ruud Hofstad, Thomas Alsgaard) 
• 2005 Norway, (Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset, Frode Estil, Lars Berger, Tore Ruud Hofstad) 
• 2007 Norway, (Eldar Rønning, Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset, Lars Berger, Petter Northug Jr) 
• 2009 Norway, (Eldar Rønning, Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset, Tore Ruud Hofstad, Petter Northug Jr.) 
• 2011 Norway, (Martin Johnsrud Sundby, Eldar Rønning, Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Petter Northug Jr) 
• 2013 Norway, (Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Eldar Rønning, Sjur Røthe, Petter Northug Jr) 
• 2015 Norway, (Niklas Dyrhaug, Didrik Tønseth, Anders Gløersen, Petter Northug Jr) 
• 2017 Norway, (Didrik Tønseth, Niklas Dyrhaug, Martin Johnsrud Sundby, Finn-Hågen Krogh) 
• 2019 Norway, (Emil Iversen, Martin Johnsrud Sundby, Sjur Røthe, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo) 
• 2021 Norway, (Pål Golberg, Emil Iversen, Hans Christer Holund, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo) 
• 2023 Norway, (Hans Christer Holund, Pål Golberg, Simen Hegstad Krüger, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo) 
• 2025 Norway, (Erik Valnes, Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget, Harald Østberg Amundsen, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo) 

FAVORITES 

Norway 

Norway could field three teams, all of which could fight for medals. It’s a brutal fight for a place in the team. They are the strongest on each of the four legs, and they have the anchorman winning any sprint he is put in. 

But mishappenings in the relay have happened many times before. Like back at the World Champs in Falun 1954, when Sweden lost their binding at the start. Or in Oslo 1982, where Norway’s Mikkelsplass fell heavily on the third leg, and Brå broke his pole in the finish in Holmenkollen. There was a tie for gold between Norway and Russia at that time. 

Petter Northug Jr. was the anchor killer for many years. He has been replaced by Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, who won 6 (!) gold medals at last year’s World Championships in his hometown of Trondheim. Not a bad replacement! 

OUTSIDERS 

Sweden 

Always fighting with Norway, even though they have come out short in recent years. The Swedish men’s team hasn’t met the usual standard this weekend, and a medal isn’t certain. 

USA 

The young team winning the Junior Worlds a few years back has now taken the last step. And Gus Schumacher & co have extra motivations for the Olympics, which is much bigger than the Worlds and World Cups back home. It is not a surprise if they take a medal.  

Finland 

The same as for Sweden. They have had a bad Winter and top star Iivo Niskanen has been struggling. Anyway, Finland is always a candidate for a medal in the men’s relay. Hard to say where they stay when we haven’t had any relays this Winter. 

France 

Also, a medal contender here. Young Desloges has done some good races. But do they have four athletes who can keep up with the other teams in the fight for the medals? Lapierre and Lapalus are good climbers, but the tracks in Val di Fiemme are not that hard. France is a dark horse in the medal fight. 

Italy 

Good memories from the Olympic relay in their own country. They won the gold medals back in Pragelato in 2006. It will not be gold this time, but the home nation has a good chance of a medal. Last chance for Federico Pellegrino, and he will give it all to get this medal. Elia Barp is strong, and Italy might be the strongest team behind Norway. 

You will find the start list HERE

Cross-country skiing schedule – Olympics 2026

Saturday, February 7: 20km Skiathlon C/F Women (More information can be found HERE)

• 13:00 CET: 20km Skiathlon C/F, Women

Sunday, February 8: 20km Skiathlon C/F Men (More information can be found HERE)

• 12:30 CET: 20km Skiathlon C/F, Men

Tuesday, February 10: Sprint C Women and Men (More information can be found HERE)

• 9:15 CET: Sprint Quali C, Women
• 9:55 CET: Sprint Quali C, Men
• 11:45 CET: Sprint Final C, Women
• 12:15 CET: Sprint Final C, Men

Thursday, February 12: 10km Interval Start F Women (More information can be found HERE)

• 13:00 CET: 10km Interval F, Women

Friday, February 13: 10km Interval Start F Men (More information can be found HERE)

• 11:45 CET: 10km Interval F, Men

Saturday, February 14: 4×7.5km Relay C/F Women (More information can be found HERE)

• 12:00 CET: 4×7.5km Relay C/F, Women

Sunday, February 15: 4×7.5km Relay C/F Men (More information can be found HERE)

• 12:00 CET: 4×7.5km Relay C/F, Men

Wednesday, February 18: Team Sprint Women and Men (More information can be found HERE)

• 9:45 CET: Team Sprint F Quali, Women
• 9:45 CET: Team Sprint F Quali, Men
• 11:45 CET: Team Sprint F, Women
• 11:45 CET: Team Sprint F, Men

Saturday, February 21: 50km Mass Start C Men (More information can be found HERE)

• 11:00 CET: 50km Mass Start C, Men

Sunday, February 22: 50km Mass Start C Women (More information can be found HERE)

• 10:00 CET: 50km Mass Start C, Women

Complete program for the Winter Olympic Games can be found HERE

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