Switzerland’s women and Sweden’s men took the relay victories as the first World Cup Round of 2025 concluded on Sunday afternoon in Idre Fjäll, Sweden.
Sunday was the warmest day of the week and the 40 teams in the women’s relay started out in sunshine in what was to prove to be an intense relay.
The first leg was a Norwegian show in that both Norway 2 and Norway 1 with Pia Young Vik and Ingrid Lundanes respectively managed to keep their cool in the many forkings. Vik was 11 seconds ahead of Lundanes at the exchange, while there was a further 16 seconds down to the closest pursuers. Sweden 1 was without Tove Alexandersson and Sara Hagström and lost time on the first leg and never came to play a major role.
On the second leg, Norway 1 with Victoria Hæstad Bjørnstad quickly made a gap and she ended up running alone all the way to the exchange and sent Andrine Benjaminsen out with a full 44 seconds lead. Behind Bjørnstad, both Finland (Ida Haapala) and Switzerland (Natalia Gemperle) moved up the rankings.
The final leg ended in a direct duel between Benjaminsen and Switzerland’s Simona Aebersold, who was in a league of her own today and secured the victory for the team with Paula Gross and Natalia Gemperle. Benjaminsen was 15 seconds behind at the finish, while the Finnish team with Amy Nymalm, Ida Haapala and Lotta Karhola held on to third place.
Women’s podium. All photos: Tero Marjamäki
Swedish duel
In the men’s relay, the home crowd at Idre Fjäll had more to celebrate when Martin Regborn (SWE 2) and Viktor Svensk (SWE 1) managed to outrun the 58 other teams and exchange at the same time with a 44-second lead.
On the second leg, Norway’s Kasper Fosser showed that yesterday’s mistake and mispunch was a one-off, as he almost flew past the leading Swedes.
He quickly caught up the 47 seconds and passed without looking back and left Gustav Bergman (SWE 2) 23 seconds down and Anton Johansson (SWE1) six seconds further behind.
Everything was set for the middle distance European champion Eirik Langedal Breivik, but the Norwegian could not keep the Swedish teams behind him.
Both SWE 1 and SWE 2 passed and on the great TV production from the relay, the spectators could follow the intense Swedish showdown that unfolded via the drones from above.
In the last kilometers, it was head-to-head between yesterday’s winner Max Peter Bejmer (SWE 1) and Emil Svensk (SWE 2), which Bejmer ended up winning.
Big smiles from Max Peter Bejmer, Anton Johannson and Viktor Svensk.
Norway held on to third place and after another Swedish team, France (Perrin, Moulet, Basset) ran in as the third best nation in fifth place.
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