Why does Sweden always have white national team suits? Here’s the answer.

For nearly 100 years, Sweden has used white national team racing suits for its cross-country skiers. But why did it become that way?

The tradition of Sweden wearing white, or partly white, national team suits in cross-country skiing dates back almost a century. It began as early as the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz. There, cross-country skier Per-Erik Hedlund, also known as “Särna-Hedlund,” chose to ditch the thick, blue national-team suit made of wadmal.

Instead, Hedlund competed in a much thinner white suit, custom-made by Malung’s sewists. It was a suit that would become a turning point for the Swedish cross-country national team. But it didn’t happen without drama.

When Hedlund appeared in the white, non-regulation suit, First Lieutenant Ivar Holmquist of the International Ski Federation intervened. He tried to stop Hedlund from starting in the white suit. But the Swede stood his ground and was eventually allowed to race.

Olympic medal in the wrong suit

The fact that Hedlund was allowed to start was something the Swedes would have reason to be grateful for. The powerful skier from Särna in Dalarna won the 50km by a crushing margin. He was 13 minutes faster than the next competitor, securing Sweden’s first Olympic gold medal in cross-country skiing.

When the officer who had tried to prevent him from starting announced Hedlund as the winner, the Swede had his revenge. Per-Erik Hedlund replied:

“Well then, was the suit good enough for you now, you old bastard?”

Criticism in the 2000s

When the Swedish Ski Association tried to introduce a national team suit for the cross-country team without white elements in the early 2000s, it caused an uproar.

The Association received bags full of letters from unhappy fans and was flooded with angry phone calls from people who gave them an earful.

“There was active crisis management during those seasons. So it’s clear that Swedish cross-country skiers MUST wear suits with white elements in addition to yellow and blue,” says Ludvig Remb of the Swedish Ski Association to SVT Dalarna.

Today, it has become a tradition for Swedes to wear white suits in cross-country skiing, not least to honor “Särna-Hedlund,” who won gold in the 50km at the 1928 St. Moritz Olympics.

Honoring the legends

The Swedish suits for the 2026 Olympics have received both criticism and praise. They include elements meant to honor heroes from earlier times while also taking athletes’ needs and wishes into account.

“Sixten Jernberg wore an entirely white suit when he won in Cortina a long time ago, so we’ve played a bit on that, as well as the Calgary Olympics, where Gunde Svan won. So, there are historical elements in the suit. I think it’s cool that it doesn’t look exactly like what we use in the World Cup,” says national team manager Anders Byström to Nettavisen.

Several of Sweden’s most prominent stars also defend the suit. Edvin Anger gives it top marks.

“It gets a five out of five! It looks good, and I feel comfortable in it,” says the 23-year-old.

He thinks it’s cool that the suit includes several historical elements.

And compared to the checkered suits worn by Gunde Svan and Thomas Wassberg?

“I think the suits we have now are quite classic. It’s going to be awesome when the whole team shows up in the white suits. It’ll look slick!”

Ebba Andersson, who was a World Championship star in both 2023 and 2025, is particularly pleased that the women’s input has been taken into account.

“We explained that we prefer the area around the backside to be in a darker color, and that we don’t think it looks great when it’s white. And there, we feel we’ve been listened to.”

Also Read: Program for cross-country skiing at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics

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