The World Championships 2025 continues this Sunday in Trondheim, Norway, with the 20km skiathlon for women. Who will win gold?

Trondheim World Championships – 20km Skiathlon

Therese Johaug will enter the World Championships again after having retired once. Today’s skiathlon might be her best chance for a gold medal.

But it will be a tough fight for the medals.

Frida Karlsson, Jessie Diggins, Astrid Øyre Slind, Ebba Andersson and others. There are many women who want to be in the fight for gold, silver, and bronze.

About the 20km Skiathlon

Skiathlon has been raced in different formats in the history of the World Championships. In the beginning, it was organized over two days, with an individual race on the first day and a pursuit start on the second day. Since 2003 it has been a skiathlon in one race with changing skis halfway, but then as 15km.

Today they are racing 20km when women and men have the same distances.

It’s raced as a mass start. The first 10km is in the classic technique, and after that, the athletes go into the changing zone where their skating skis and skating poles are ready in their boxes. After that, they will be doing 10km skating.

The first skier crossing the finish line is the winner. And that’s often a specialist in skating because it is the last part of the race. But from time to time, we also see the strongest classic skiers able to go away and open a gap that they can hold all the way to the finish.

It’s important to be fast also when you change your skis. If you get problems with your bindings, the skis are gliding away or similar incidents you will quickly lose valuable seconds, and you can lose contact with the group you were in before entering the changing zone.

FORMER WORLD CHAMPIONS (different distances)

PURSUIT START

• 1993     Stefania Belmondo, Italia
• 1995     Larissa Lazutina, Russia
• 1997     Elena Välbe, Russia
• 1999     Stefania Belmondo, Italy
• 2001     Virpi Kuitunen, Finland (5+5 km)

20KM

• 1978     Zinaida Amosova, Sovjetunion
• 1980     Veronika Hesse, DDR
• 1982     Raisa Smetanina, Sovjetunion
• 1985     Grete Ingeborg Nykkelmo, Norway
• 1987     Marie-Helene Westin, Sweden

15KM

• 1989     Marjo Matikainen, Finland
• 1991     Elena Välbe, Sovjetunionen
• 1993     Elena Välbe, Russia
• 1995     Larissa Lazutina, Russia
• 1997     Elena Välbe, Russia
• 1999     Stefania Belmondo, Italy
• 2001     Bente Skari, Norway
• 2003     Bente Skari, Norway

15KM SKIATHLON (7.5km classic + 7.5km free)

• 2003     Kristina Smigun, Estonia (5+5 km)
• 2005     Julia Tchepalova, Russia
• 2007     Olga Zaitseva, Russia
• 2009     Justyna Kowalczyk, Poland
• 2011     Marit Bjørgen, Norway
• 2013     Marit Bjørgen, Norway
• 2015     Therese Johaug, Norway
• 2017     Marit Bjørgen, Norway
• 2019     Therese Johaug, Norway
• 2021     Therese Johaug, Norway
• 2023     Ebba Andersson, Sweden

FAVORITES

Therese Johaug, Norway

This is probably Johaug’s best chance of winning in Trondheim. Many people think it’s the 50km, but she impressed everybody at the Norwegian Championships in skiathlon. From the changing of skis, she was just flying away from Heidi Weng, and she was never close to being caught. Her strength here – beside being a complete skier – is the ability to start at full speed directly after changing skis. Most of the skiers need a little time to adjust to another style.

Frida Karlsson, Sweden

Has done some really impressing races this Winter, but an injured foot has made her competition season short. The tough courses in Trondheim should suit Frida Karlsson who has the capacity to go away on the final part. She is probably quicker than Johaug in a sprint, but not quicker than Diggins.

Jessie Diggins, USA

Will be very dangerous also here. Her foot injury has made her classical part the key to success. Diggins will be hard to beat if she can follow the best ones to the halfway point. She has a good sprint, and she is a master at squeezing out the last power of her body.

OUTSIDERS

Ebba Andersson, Sweden

Reigning champion and regained self-confidence after her victory in Falun. The win was important for Ebba Andersson, because her season has been weaker than when she was the champion in 2023. One minus is her sprint, there she is not among the best ones.

Astrid Øyre Slind, Norway

Very strong season. Besides Diggins, one of the top names has competed most this year. But Øyre Slind is used to that from Ski Classics. She is also very strong in double poling and she has impressed in skating after having double poled for most of the last years in the long distance circuit. Astrid Øyre Slind has been training a lot in these tracks and she knows what to expect.

Heidi Weng, Norway

Experienced, stable and strong. But maybe not strong enough to challenge Johaug as Norway’s biggest hope here. Had no chance against her at the last half of the skiathlon in the Norwegian championships. But Weng can be in the medal fight today.

Victoria Carl, Germany

Won the World Cup on these tracks a year ago. Showed good shape in the last test in Falun before she fell and broke her pole. The strong German likes the tracks in Granåsen and she has also put in some extra training here.

Jonna Sundling, Sweden

Many looks at Jonna Sundling as a pure sprinter. But she can hang on for a long time and at the end she can beat anyone with her sprint. The other favorites need to put on hard speed early to get rid of Sundling.

START LIST

The start list can be found HERE

The 2025 World Championships continues this Sunday in Trondheim, Norway. Here is the complete competition program, with the start list and start time for the 20km skiathlon.

Sunday, March 2 (More information HERE)

• 14:00 CET: 20km Skiathlon 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
• 11:00 CET: Team Sprint Qualification Classic, Men
• 14:30 CET: Team Sprint Classic, Women
• 14:30 CET: Team Sprint Classic, Men

Thursday, March 6 (More information HERE)

• 12:30 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.