Skiing without actual skis is, well, pretty challenging.
On Saturday, Sweden narrowly missed out on a gold in the women’s 4×7.5km relay. The disappointment came when Eva Andersson had a tough fall, forcing her to compete on just one ski for nearly 30 seconds.
After falling, she struggled to get her right ski back in place.
Andersson then resorted to using her right foot to push forward as she waited for a technician to bring her replacement skis.
Unfortunately for Sweden, their skiing technology seemed to falter as well, contributing to their delay.
This setback meant that Sweden, initially favored to clinch the title, ended up taking home silver while Norway seized gold.
“It was a tough day for me, and unfortunately it turned into a tough day for the team,” Andersson said post-race. “But we share the victories and we share the times when things don’t go well. Today was one of those days.”
That incident briefly dropped Sweden to 7th place, but they managed to rally back to finish in 2nd.
BBC commentator Rob Walker observed, “She has fallen again. It was a complete disaster. She lost her skis and is doing the best she can to get them back.”
“What a nightmare this has been for the Swedes. So far, everything was looking good,” he added, referring to Andersson’s teammate, Frida Karlsson, who was in a tough spot.
“And a great effort from Andersen. She’s running with her skis under her arm, desperately trying to at least give Karlsson a shot.”
Andersson and Karlsson, who were instrumental in Sweden’s comeback to 2nd place, received commendations for their resilience.
“This is what the Winter Olympics are about,” Walker remarked. “Keep going, don’t give up, don’t stop.”
He also encouraged young athletes watching: “Look at these moments. Of course, Karlsson is completely devastated right now. But help is coming. All is not lost. Never give up. I have never seen anything like this.”
Norway crossed the finish line at 1 hour 15 minutes 44.8 seconds, finishing 50.9 seconds ahead of Sweden.
Astrid Oile Slind from the Norwegian team remarked afterward, “Honestly, I didn’t realize there was so much drama. They were right in front of us, but I was focused on our own lead, feeling optimistic about the gold. We are so proud.”
