Sweden faced criticism for not fielding full teams in the women's and men's 50km races at the Olympics, reportedly due to illnesses and early departures by skiers. In the women's 50km, only Ebba Andersson and Emma Ribom started, while the men's race had three of a possible four starters. Moa Ilar, who left the Olympics early, said she understood the criticism but noted skiers are not machines.
Johanna Hagström also left early after being eliminated in the sprint quarterfinals. Landslagschefen Anders Byström expressed anxiety about the situation. The criticism came from figures like Petter Skinstad of TV2 Norway, who called it a scandal, and SVT expert Anders Blomquist, who said it was disappointing.
she understood the criticism but noted skiers are not machines
Moa Lundgren, who was not selected for the Olympics, said she would have gone if called as a reserve. The World Cup in cross-country skiing is taking place in Falun.
called it a scandal
said it was disappointing
she would have gone if called as a reserve