Two of the biggest names on the World Cup circuit will skip all competitions following the Tour de Ski.

Neither Trondheim World Championships star Ebba Andersson nor Frida Karlsson will compete in a single race before the Olympic Games begin in early February.

The Tour de Ski is over. The cross-country World Cup now takes a break this coming weekend, followed by two consecutive rounds on January 17–18 and January 23–25. However, neither Andersson nor Karlsson will take part in those events.

Plan set back in May

“The rough plan for the Olympic build-up was already set in May. I’ll be preparing at home in Sollefteå,” Andersson told Expressen.

That means she will not race again before the Olympics.

“Partly because it has worked well for me in the past to prepare at home, and partly because the competition program is very sprint-focused,” said Andersson, who won three gold medals at the World Championships in Trondheim.

“Additionally, there are other considerations, such as travel, spending some time at altitude, and the next World Cup coming very close to the Tour de Ski,” she added.

Andersson finished fourth overall in the Tour de Ski.

Also Read: Tour de Ski 2025/2026: Final Standings

Karlsson shifts focus

For Karlsson, the original plan was to compete as much as possible up to and including the Tour de Ski. However, the 26-year-old ended the Tour one day early.

Read More: Frida Karlsson withdraws from Tour de Ski

“There will now be a slightly calmer period, followed by an altitude block for Frida,” said coach Per Nilsson.

This means she will skip the two remaining World Cup events before the Olympics and prioritize altitude training instead.

“Frida wants a longer period, so it may be relevant for her to travel up earlier than the rest of the national team that will gather in Seiser Alm,” he said.

Two stars come back

Linn Svahn missed the Tour de Ski due to a foot injury. She has now recovered and will make her World Cup comeback in Oberhof on January 17–18.

Jonna Sundling chose to skip the Tour de Ski as part of her Olympic preparations. She will now compete in the national cup in Falun this coming weekend, before returning to the World Cup in Oberhof the following weekend.

Are you interested in traditional cross-country skiing? Click HERE and read more about it.

As a member of ProXCskiing.com, you get full access to all content on the site. Also, live streaming of Ski Classics events with English commentaries is available.

When you become part of one of the World’s leading XC ski communities, you will receive many exclusive offers all year round.

REGISTER HERE AS A MEMBER