The 19-year-old is part of the Swedish junior national cross-country ski team. But after his performance at the Stockholm Marathon, the future of his skiing career is uncertain.

Jesper Jakobsson, from Gellivare Skidallians, was one of the athletes presented earlier this spring by the Swedish Ski Association as part of the Team Svenska Spel Junior National Team, following several top placements in national junior competitions last season.

Read More: Swedish junior national cross-country ski team for season 2025/2026

Last weekend, Jakobsson ran the Stockholm Marathon and finished in 79th place with a time of 2:40:48. Among the top 95 finishers, he was the youngest, and he improved his time from last year by 25 minutes.

Also Read: Skiers shine at Stockholm Marathon

Cramps at the end

He started fast, aiming for a finish around 2:30.

“I started the race with a pace that would land me around 2:30,” he told NSD and continued:

Towards the end, he got cramps but still managed an impressive finish.

“I got cramps in my calves and hamstrings, but that was pretty much expected. Still, I was never really worried that I wouldn’t make it to the finish line.”

Uncertain skiing future

After the strong showing in the major race, his future path is now unclear.

“It feels like skiing is slipping away more and more, but I’m giving it one more year,” the 19-year-old told NSD after the race.

He has one year left at the ski high school in Gällivare and will continue to be part of the Team Svenska Spel Junior National Team for the upcoming season. But after that, the future of his skiing career is highly uncertain.

“I’ve said that I’ll stick with skiing through the end of high school, and then we’ll see what happens – but it’s entirely possible that I’ll focus on running after that.”

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