By Philip O’Connor
ZHANGJIAKOU, China (Reuters) – Newly-crowned Olympic champion Jonna Sundling had more than the usual questions to answer after her dominant cross-country sprint win on Tuesday as Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson failed to reach her by phone in the post-race mixed zone.
The 27-year-old reigning world champion crushed the field to deliver Sweden’s first cross-country medal of the Beijing Olympics, and was surprised to be told after the race that a call from Andersson was imminent.
“Oh, okay, that’s fun — an honour,” she said, looking both thrilled and slightly taken aback.
Team media manager Lars Markusson had said Andersson was trying to get in touch and might interrupt media questions.
But the premier had as much success in catching Sundling as her cross-country rivals.
Sundling won all of her heats before putting on a devastating spurt to win the final by a comfortable margin and claim an Olympic title at the first attempt.
“It feels great obviously, a little bit empty, but incredibly happy and proud of my performance today,” she said.
Fellow Swede Maja Dahlqvist took silver and their compatriot Ebba Ribom also made the final, finishing sixth.
“Today I went by myself, all day, but it felt very secure to have three Swedes in the final and race together,” Sundling said.
“I heard afterwards that we were in a line (as the leading trio during the race), and I thought wow, this is so cool!”
Ribom ultimately fell away, with bronze in the six-woman final going to American Jessie Diggins.
Sundling said she had started thinking about the Olympics immediately after winning individual and team gold at the World Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany, in February 2021.
“I re-calibrated for this championship. This is my first Olympics, and it’s fantastic that this is the first thing I do at my first Games, she said.
“I’m in a little bit of shock, (but) I’m really happy.”
(Reporting by Philip O’Connor; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
