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

Trondheim World Championships – 4×7.5km Relay for Women

Is Sweden’s streak of gold medals going to continue in the women’s relay?

In Planica 2023, they were surprisingly beaten by Norway. And the Norwegians are probably the ones closest to challenge the Swedes once again.

The women are now racing 4×7.5km; earlier, it was 5km in the relay.

FORMER WORLD CHAMPIONS

• 1954     SOVIET UNION, (Ljubov Kozyreva, Margarita Maslennikova, Valentina Tsareva)
• 1958     SOVIET UNION, (Radja Jeroshina, Alevtina Koltsjina, Ljubov Kozyreva)
• 1962     SOVIET UNION, (Ljubov Baranova, Marija Gusakova, Alevtina Koltsjina)
• 1966     SOVIET UNION, (Klavdija Bojarskikh, Rita Atsjkina, Alevtina Koltsjina)
• 1970     SOVIET UNION, (Nina Fjodorova, Galina Kulakova, Alevtina Oljunina)
• 1974     SOVIET UNION, (Nina Fjodorova, Nina Seljunina, Raisa Smetanina, Galina Kulakova)
• 1978     FINLAND, (Taina Impiö, Marja-Liisa Hämäläinen, Hilkka Riihivuroi, Helena Takalo)
• 1982     NORWAY, (Anette Bøe, Inger Helene Nykkelmo, Berit Aunli, Brit Pettersen)
• 1985     SOVIET UNION, (Tamara Tikhonova, Raisa Smetanina, Lilija Vasiltsjenko, Anfisa Romanova)
• 1987     SOVIET UNION, (Antonina Ordina, Nina Gavriljuk, Larisa Ptitsyna, Anfisa Reztsova)
• 1989     FINLAND, (Pirkko Määttä, Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi, Jaana Savolainen, Marjo Matikainen)
• 1991     SOVIET UNION, (Ljubov Egorova, Raisa Smetanina, Tamara Tikhonova, Elena Välbe)
• 1993     RUSSIA, (Elena Välbe, Larisa Lazutina, Nina Gavriljuk, Ljubov Egorova)
• 1995     RUSSIA, (Olga Danilova, Elena Välbe, Larisa Lazutina, Nina Gavriljuk)
• 1997     RUSSIA, (Olga Danilova, Larisa Lazutina, Nina Gavriljuk, Elena Välbe)
• 1999     RUSSIA, (Olga Danilova, Larisa Lazutina, Anfisa Reztsova, Nina Gavriljuk)
• 2001     RUSSIA, (Olga Danilova, Larisa Lazutina, Julia Tchepalova, Nina Gavriljuk)
• 2003     GERMANY, (Manuela Henkel, Viola Bauer, Claudia Künzel, Evi Sachenbacher)
• 2005     NORWAY, (Vibeke Skofterud, Hilde G Pedersen, Kristin Størmer Steira, Marit Bjørgen)
• 2007     FINLAND, (Virpi Kuitunen, Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, Riitta-Liisa Roponen, Pirjo Manninen)
• 2009     FINLAND, (Pirjo Muranen, Virpi Kuitunen, Riitta-Liisa Roponen, Aino-Kaisa Saarinen)
• 2011     NORWAY, (Vibeke Skofterud, Therese Johaug, Kristin Størmer Steira, Marit Bjørgen)
• 2013     NORWAY, (Heidi Weng, Therese Johaug, Kristin Størmer Steira, Marit Bjørgen)
• 2015     NORWAY, (Heidi Weng, Therese Johaug, Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen, Marit Bjørgen)
• 2017     NORWAY, (Maiken Caspersen Falla, Therese Johaug, Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen, Marit Bjørgen)
• 2019     SWEDEN, (Ebba Andersson, Frida Karlsson, Charlotte Kalla, Stina Nilsson)
• 2021     NORWAY, (Tiril Udnes Weng, Heidi Weng, Therese Johaug, Helene Marie Fossesholm)
• 2023     NORWAY, (Tiril Udnes Weng, Astrid Øyre Slind, Ingvild Flugstad Østberg, Anne Kjersti Kalvå)

FAVORITES

SWEDEN

4-0 to the Swedes in the women’s cross country so far in Trondheim. And they are also the favorites to take the relay. But they lost surprisingly to Norway in Planica two years ago. It will most likely be a fight between these two again, but what can Norway put against Jonna Sundling being the anchor?

NORWAY

Only Astrid Øyre Slind is left from the team that won 2023. But Heidi Weng and Therese Johaug bring experience to the team. Johaug has five wins in the relay from before and Heidi Weng has two. But for Norway, the question has always been who will be the anchorwoman, especially after Marit Bjørgen retired.

OUTSIDERS

FINLAND

The Finns were angry after the bad conditions in the team sprint. But normally they are fighting for a medal here. Kerttu Niskanen has not been at her best, Krista Pärmäkoski was better before but Johanna Matintalo showed some form in her first appearance here.

USA

Motivation went through the roof with silver in the team sprint. Diggins finally admitted that their skis had been bad at the beginning of the championships. And that they are still struggling to find the right wax. A question mark about the form for Rosie Brennan. Julia Kern hit top form and took the silver with Diggins.

GERMANY

Not delivering what was expected so far. Especially Victoria Carl has been under her normal standard in Trondheim. But it can turn quickly and if four German women will perform at their best they can take a medal.

SWITZERLAND

A big surprise, specially Nadja Kälin with 6th and 8th in the individual races. She was not far behind at the 10km. Nadine Fähndrich has two medals now, but they have sprinters and young, unexperienced racers so a medal will probably be one step too high this time.

START LIST

The start list can be found HERE

The 2025 World Championships continues this Friday 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 women.

Friday, March 7 (More information HERE)

• 13:15 CET: 4×7.5km Relay Classic/Freestyle, Women

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)

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

Friday, March 7 (More information HERE)

• 13:15 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.