Female cross-country skiers are about to achieve a historic Olympic milestone as they compete in their inaugural 50-kilometer classic race on Sunday at the Milano Cortina Games, though the landmark event has generated divided reactions among athletes.
This groundbreaking competition will serve as the closing cross-country skiing event of the Games and presents a significant challenge for competitors who have already completed five other races, leaving many athletes physically drained before tackling the demanding distance.
Adding to the difficulty, numerous skiers must immediately rejoin the World Cup circuit once their Italian competition concludes.
Swedish gold medalist Jonna Sundling, who claimed victory in the women’s team sprint, expressed mixed feelings about the extended distance. “If I would choose I would prefer 30k, but if it’s 50k I can do 50k,” Sundling stated. “In some way I would prefer 30k, like for the audience also.”
Athletes will navigate a challenging hillside course at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium in Val di Fiemme, with the race expected to exceed two hours in duration.
Norwegian competitor Therese Johaug previously completed a Cross Country World Cup 50k race during the 2024/2025 season, finishing in two hours, 14 minutes and 40 seconds.
However, several female competitors have embraced the extended challenge with enthusiasm.
Norway’s Astrid Oeyre Slind highlighted the strategic differences of the longer race. “I think a 50k is a good distance. It’s quite different than a 30k,” Slind explained. “When a race is more than two hours, you have to be more aware of energy and tactical stuff and everything. It’s quite a different race, so I think it’s a good thing we have a 50k.”
Many athletes view this development as a crucial advancement for gender parity in Olympic competition, especially following recent debates about women’s exclusion from Nordic combined events.
American skier Jessie Diggins expressed her excitement about achieving distance equality. “I am really excited about having equal distance,” Diggins said. “When I got to the World Cup and was like, ‘Wait a minute, the men get to do 50 and the women are capped at 30. Why?’ And I didn’t understand why.”
“Why do we not get to do these big, epic races that are pretty iconic and pretty legendary in our sport?” she continued.
Cross-country skiing made its Olympic debut at the 1924 Chamonix Games with exclusively male competitions, while women’s events were introduced at the 1952 Oslo Olympics. During the 2022 Beijing Olympics, female athletes competed in a 30km freestyle race, where Diggins earned a silver medal.
“Whether or not you’re an athlete who wants to race the 50k, I think you should have the opportunity to race the 50k,” she concluded.
