The World Championships 2025 continues this Thursday in Trondheim, Norway, with the 4×7.5km relay for men. Who will win gold?

Trondheim World Championships – 4×7.5km Relay for Men

The men’s relay has traditions back to 1933. Different nations have dominated through the years, but lately, nobody has been close to Norway.

They are unbeaten at the World Championships in the 2000’s and they will not be beaten in Trondheim either.

Note that the relay is now 4×7.5km. Earlier they raced 4x10km, but because of equal distances for both genders, it has been cut by 2.5km on each leg.

FORMER WORLD CHAMPIONS RELAY MEN

• 1933     SWEDEN, (Per-Erik Hedlund, Sven Utterström, Nils-Joel Englund, Hjalmar Bergström)
• 1934     FINLAND, (Sulo Nurmela, Klaes Karppinen, Martti Lappalainen, Veli Saarinen)
• 1935     FINLAND, (Mikko Husu, Klaes Karppinen, Väinö Liikkanen, Sulo Nurmela)
• 1937     NORWAY, (Annar Ryen, Oskar Fredriksen, Sigurd Røen, Lars Bergendahl)
• 1938     FINLAND, (Jussi Kurikkala, Martti Lauronen, Pauli Pitkänen, Klaes Karppinen)
• 1939     FINLAND, (Pauli Pitkänen, Olavi Alakulppim, Eino Olkinuora, Klaes Karppinen)
• 1950     SWEDEN, (Nils Täpp, Karl-Erik Åström, Martin Lundström, Enar Josefsson)
• 1954     FINLAND, (August Kiuru, Tapio Mäkälä, Arvo Viitanen, Veikko Hakulinen)
• 1958     SWEDEN, (Sixten Jernberg, Lennart Larsson, Sture Grahn, Per-Erik Larsson)
• 1962     SWEDEN, (Lars Olsson, Sture Grahn, Sixten Jernberg, Assar Rönnlund)
• 1966     NORWAY, (Odd Martinsen, Harald Grønningen, Ole Ellefsæter, Gjermund Eggen)
• 1970     SOVJETUNION, (Vladimir Voronkov, Valerij Tarakanov, Fjodor Simashev, Vjatjeslav Vedenin)
• 1974     DDR, (Gerd Hessler, Dieter Meinel, Gerhard Grimmer, Gert-Dietmar Klause)
• 1978     SWEDEN, (Sven-Åke Lundbäck, Christer Johansson, Tommy Limby, Thomas Magnuson)
• 1982     SOVJETUNION, (Vladimir Nikitin, Aleksandr Batjuk, Jurij Burlakov, Aleksandr Zavjalov) and NORWAY, (Lars Erik Eriksen, Ove Aunli, Pål Gunnar Mikkelsplass and Oddvar Brå)
• 1985     NORWAY, (Arild Monsen, Pål Gunnar Mikkelsplass, Tor Håkon Holte, Ove Aunli)
• 1987     SWEDEN, (Erik Östlund, Gunde Svan, Thomas Wassberg, Torgny Mogren)
• 1989     SWEDEN, (Christer Majbäck, Gunde Svan, Lars Håland, Torgny Mogren)
• 1991     NORWAY, (Øyvind Skaanes, Terje Langli, Vegard Ulvang, Bjørn Dæhlie)
• 1993     NORWAY, (Sture Sivertsen, Vegard Ulvang, Terje Langli, Bjørn Dæhlie)
• 1995     NORWAY, (Sture Sivertsen, Erling Jevne, Bjørn Dæhlie, Thomas Alsgaard)
• 1997     NORWAY, (Sture Sivertsen, Erling Jevne, Bjørn Dæhlie, Thomas Alsgaard)
• 1999     AUSTRIA, (Markus Gandler, Alois Stadlober, Mikhail Botvinov, Christan Hoffmann)
• 2001     NORWAY, (Frode Estil, Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset, Thomas Alsgaard, Tor-Arne Hetland)
• 2003     NORWAY, (Anders Aukland, Frode Estil, Tore Ruud Hofstad, Thomas Alsgaard)
• 2005     NORWAY, (Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset, Frode Estil, Lars Berger, Tore Ruud Hofstad)
• 2007     NORWAY, (Eldar Rønning, Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset, Lars Berger, Petter Northug jr)
• 2009     NORWAY, (Eldar Rønning, Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset, Tore Ruud Hofstad, Petter Northug jr)
• 2011     NORWAY, (Martin Johnsrud Sundby, Eldar Rønning, Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Petter Northug jr)
• 2013     NORWAY, (Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Eldar Rønning, Sjur Røthe, Petter Northug jr)
• 2015     NORWAY, (Niklas Dyrhaug, Didrik Tønseth, Anders Gløersen, Petter Northug jr)
• 2017     NORWAY, (Didrik Tønseth, Niklas Dyrhaug, Martin Johnsrud Sundby, Finn-Hågen Krogh)
• 2019     NORWAY, (Emil Iversen, Martin Johnsrud Sundby, Sjur Røthe, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo)
• 2021     NORWAY, (Pål Golberg, Emil Iversen, Hans Christer Holund, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo)
• 2023     NORWAY, (Hans Christer Holund, Pål Golberg, Simen Hegstad Krüger, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo)

FAVORITES

NORWAY

There is only one favorite for this event. Norway has the best skier on each leg. They have the fastest finisher. And they have more than 20.000 spectators to cheer them on. Only an accident can take the gold away from the home nation, who have only been beaten once since they won in 1991.

OUTSIDERS

SWEDEN

Not as strong as in the 90’s, but with a team that should be able to fight for silver. Calle Halfvarsson left the team sprint because of a cold and is not starting the relay. Poromaa and Anger were both there in the skiathlon and they are strong.

FRANCE

Also a contender for the medals. But they need to stay in contact on the two first legs in classic. Have taken medals in the relay before and can do it again.

FINLAND

It looks like the Finns have found the right waxing on the tricky conditions in Trondheim. They will be very satisfied with a medal here. Of course, lacking Iivo Niskanen.

ITALY

Normally one of the teams in the group behind Norway, but they haven’t shown the form so far in 2025. Must lift their performances to be in the fight for the medals.

USA

Have a young and eager team who have won the Junior Worlds earlier. But it will take something extra if the four guys should be on the top. But it is a team very much racing on motivation so it could happen.

START LIST

The start list can be found HERE (new start time at 14:30 CET).

The 2025 World Championships continues this Thursday in Trondheim, Norway. Here is the complete competition program, with the start list and start time for the 4×7.5km in classic/freestyle technique for men.

Thursday, March 6 (More information HERE)

• 14:30 CET (new start time): 4×7.5km Relay Classic/Freestyle, Men

See below the complete program for the World Championships in Trondheim, Norway.

FACTS 2025 Nordic World Ski Championships

• When: Wednesday, February 26, to Sunday, March 9, 2025
• Who: Elite national skiers – women and men
• Where: Trondheim, Norway
• What: FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2025

Wednesday, February 26 (More information HERE)

• 13:30 CET: Qualification, 7.5km Classic, Women
• 15:30 CET: Qualification, 7.5km Classic, Men

Thursday, February 27 (More information HERE)

• 10:00 CET: Sprint Qualification Freestyle, Women
• 10:52 CET: Sprint Qualification Freestyle, Men
• 12:30 CET: Sprint Finals Freestyle, Women
• 12:30 CET: Sprint Finals Freestyle, Men

Saturday, March 1 (More information HERE)

• 14:00 CET: 20km Skiathlon Classic/Freestyle, Men

Sunday, March 2 (More information HERE)

• 14:00 CET: 20km Skiathlon Classic/Freestyle, Women

Tuesday, March 4 (More information HERE)

• 13:00 CET: 10km Interval Start Classic, Men
• 15:30 CET: 10km Interval Start Classic – Women

Wednesday, March 5 (More information HERE)

• 11:00 CET: Team Sprint Qualification Classic, Women
• 11:29 CET: Team Sprint Qualification Classic, Men
• 14:30 CET: Team Sprint Classic, Women
• 15:02 CET: Team Sprint Classic, Men

Thursday, March 6 (More information HERE)

• 14:30 CET: 4×7.5km Relay Classic/Freestyle, Men

Friday, March 7 (More information HERE)

• 14:00 CET: 4×7.5km Relay Classic/Freestyle, Women

Saturday, March 8 (More information HERE)

• 11:30 CET: 50km Mass Start Freestyle, Men

Sunday, March 9 (More information HERE)

• 11:30 CET: 50km Mass Start Freestyle, Women

PROGRAM (traditional cross-country skiing program) 

Also Read: Cross-country skiing program for the Trondheim World Championships

The Nordic World Ski Championships is taking place in Trondheim, Norway, from February 26 to March 9, 2025. It promises to be the largest sporting event in Norway in 15 years, with more than 300.000 spectators expected to attend. 

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