Who is Ebba Andersson? Sweden’s star wins historic women’s 50km cross-country skiing gold at Milano Cortina 2026

Sweden’s Ebba Andersson won the final women’s cross-country skiing title of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Sunday, winning the 50-kilometer mass start classic race. The 28-year-old produced a dominant performance in Tesero and crossed the finish line in 2:16:28.2. Norway’s Heidi Weng finished second to claim silver, while Switzerland’s Nadja Kaelin secured bronze after a sprint finish. American star Jessie Diggins placed fifth in what marked the closing race of her Olympic career.The victory was especially meaningful for Andersson after an earlier crash in the relay had cost Sweden a chance at gold. She responded with a strong solo effort, breaking away from the leading group and steadily increasing her lead. The race also completed Sweden’s highly successful women’s cross-country campaign at the Games. The nation won every women’s event except the relay and finished the competition with multiple podium finishes across the discipline.Ebba Andersson controlled the race from the early stages and stayed among the leaders throughout the long distance event. A group of four initially set the pace, including Heidi Weng, Austria’s Teresa Stadlober and Jessie Diggins. However, as the race progressed, the Swedish skier gradually increased the tempo. After a ski change near the halfway point, she accelerated and opened a gap that continued to grow during the later laps.Even a brief stumble shortly after the equipment change did not stop her momentum. Andersson quickly recovered and attacked again. With about 20 kilometers remaining she had built a clear advantage over Weng, and by the final lap she was more than a minute ahead. The Swede powered up the last hill and skied alone to the finish, earning her first individual Olympic gold medal.Behind her, the battle for bronze produced an intense sprint. A group of five skiers, including Diggins, fought for third place on the final climb. Kaelin showed the strongest finish and secured Switzerland’s medal, while Norway’s Kristin Austgulen Fosnaes finished fourth and Diggins came fifth.The gold medal completed Andersson’s remarkable Games. She had already collected silver medals in the skiathlon and 10-kilometer interval start, along with a team relay silver. Sweden’s Frida Karlsson and Jonna Sundling missed the race due to illness, leaving Andersson to carry the team’s hopes in the final event.Sweden ultimately finished the women’s cross-country program with five gold medals, four silvers and one bronze. Andersson’s victory provided redemption and a memorable ending to the Olympic cross-country schedule.