Swedish cross-country skiers are promoting a pharmaceutical product that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is considering banning. “This is not good for sports,” says the Norwegian doctor who heads WADA’s Health, Medical, and Research Committee.

This season, the Swedish national cross-country skiing team entered a sponsorship deal with Novo Nordisk, the Danish pharmaceutical company behind Ozempic and the weight-loss drug Wegovy. The partnership comes just as WADA is evaluating whether to add semaglutide, the active ingredient in both drugs, to its list of prohibited substances.

Promoting public health

In a press release, the Swedish Ski Association stated that the collaboration with Novo Nordisk is part of its mission to promote public health and reduce weight stigma. However, cross-country skiing has a long and complex history with eating disorders.

Novo Nordisk is best known for Ozempic, originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, but it has also gained global attention as a weight-loss drug. The company also produces Wegovy, which contains the same active ingredient but is explicitly marketed for weight management.

“A bit surprising”

Several Swedish athletes have expressed discomfort with the new partnership they are now obliged to represent.

“It can definitely be a bit confusing. That we should actually carry a logo for a company that has been quite controversial for a specific drug – and then I think of Ozempic,” said Swedish star Ebba Andersson to Expressen.

She tries to see the positive side, acknowledging the public health argument, but admits the situation is complex.

“The fact that we’re associated with such a controversial drug … it’s a bit unfortunate,” Andersson added.

Her teammates were more reserved.

“I have no comments. You’ll have to speak with our sponsorship manager,” said Linn Svahn.

Frida Karlsson also declined to comment, referring to the team’s marketing department.

National team manager Lars Öberg said they expected reactions but remain firm in their decision.

“It’s not surprising,” he told Expressen. “We see this as an opportunity to strengthen public health together with Novo Nordisk.”

A growing issue in sports

Weight-loss drugs gained attention in sports during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Currently, semaglutide is on WADA’s monitoring list as the agency investigates whether it can enhance performance and how widespread its use is in elite sports.

Norwegian doctor Lars Engebretsen, who has chaired WADA’s Health, Medical, and Research Committee since 2020, believes such drugs should be banned outright.

“I think it should absolutely be banned. This is not good for sports,” Engebretsen told NRK.

His committee is one of three assessing whether semaglutide should move from the monitoring list to the official list of banned substances. Engebretsen emphasized that the issue is not only about performance enhancement but also about health risks, particularly eating disorders.

“My vote will be to get this out of the sport,” he concluded.

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