According to the Swedish selection criteria, Maja Dahlqvist and Frida Karlsson may lose the World Cup premiere in Ruka, Finland.

Maja Dahlqvist and Frida Karlsson chose to be outside the national team this season, meaning that Sweden will probably be without two of its strongest skiers at the World Cup premiere in Ruka, Finland, from November 25 to 27. 

The reason is the Swedish Ski Federation’s rules, saying that the A-National Team skiers are prioritized for the National Team in the first period of the World Cup. Information confirmed by Sweden’s women’s national team coach Stefan Thomson to Expressen. 

“What is stated in the selection criteria is that at the beginning of the season, the first-team skiers have priority. Everyone knows about that. Even the girls who were now outside” says Thomson. 

So even though Maja Dahlqvist and Frida Karlsson will start at the Swedish National premiere in Bruksvallarna this weekend, they cannot expect to be fighting for places at the World Cup opener in Ruka. 

Read More: Karlsson And Dahlqvist Out Of The Swedish National Team 

Even if Dahlqvist and Karlsson were part of the National Team last season and at Bruksvallarna perform better than the A national team skiers, they can still be taken out. But if they do equally well with today’s A national team members, the national team skiers must be prioritized.

National team manager Anders Byström confirms the information.

“Even if Maja or Frida is not in the absolute top class in Bruksvallarna, they should still maintain such a high level that there should be no need to think about it (a withdrawal),” he says.

In addition to Dahlqvist and Karlsson, Linn Svahn has also chosen to prepare outside the national team this season. However, she is not ready to go skiing in Bruksvallarna next weekend. Sweden’s sprint star Linn Svahn lost last year’s season to a shoulder injury, thus missing the Olympics in Beijing and the entire 2021/22 season.

Read More: Svahn: “I Don’t Want To Gamble” 

Also, another Sweden star will miss the premiere in Bruksvallarna. Jonna Sundling is struggling with illness and is not ready for competition yet.