The 50k cross country ski race dates back to 1888 but it wasn’t until 2023 that women were able to compete in the event at a World Cup level, and this was the first time women skied in the 31-mile race at a world championship.
As part of the equal-distance vote by the Federation of International Skiing (FIS) in 2022, a motion was put forward to have both men and women race the same distance on the World Cup circuit and at world championship competitions.
Swedish skier Frida Karlsson wrote herself into the history books as the first female world champion in the 50k Mass Start. She crossed the finish line in 2:24:55.3.
On the podium behind her were Norway’s Heidi Weng and Therese Johaug.
American skiers Julia Kern, Sophia Laukli, Jessie Diggins and Alayna Sonnesyn were also part of the mass start competition, finishing 19, 21, 22 and 23 respectively.
The women will compete in their first Olympic 50k at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan Cortina next year.
