Ebba Andersson is a Swedish cross-country skier who just won Olympic gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, Italy. She won the women’s 50-kilometer mass start classic race on February 22, 2026, finishing ahead of Norway’s Heidi Weng and Switzerland’s Nadja Kaelin.
This gold medal was her fourth medal at the 2026 Olympics, adding to three silver medals she won earlier in the Games. She is now a six-time Olympic medalist total, having also competed at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics where she won silver in the relay.
She is also a multiple World Champion with four individual gold medals and several relay golds from World Championships. She was awarded the prestigious Jerring Award in January 2024 for her outstanding 2023 performances.
Early Life in Delsbo and Sollefteå
Ebba Kristina Andersson was born on July 10, 1997, in Delsbo, Sweden. When she was three years old, her family moved to Sollefteå, a small town in central Norrland with a strong skiing tradition.
Growing up in Sollefteå meant being surrounded by winter sports culture. The town has produced many successful skiers over the years, and cross-country skiing is deeply rooted in the community.
According to her personal website, she first discovered cross-country skiing in Sollefteå and quickly became hooked on the competitive aspect of the sport. That competitive spirit is still one of the main reasons she dedicates so much time and energy to becoming the best she can be.
She comes from a ski-loving family. Her parents encouraged outdoor activities from an early age, and she spent much of her childhood on skis exploring the forests around Sollefteå.
While she was born in Delsbo, Sollefteå is the place she considers home. Even though she has lived in Östersund since 2019 for training purposes, Sollefteå remains the place she returns to for championship preparations or when she needs a break from her normal training routine.
Running Background
Before focusing entirely on cross-country skiing, Ebba was also a talented runner. She competed for Sollefteå GIF Friidrott, a prominent athletics club in her hometown.
At the 2015 European Junior Championships in Eskilstuna, Sweden, she competed in the women’s 3,000 meters event. She finished sixth in the final with a time of 9:29.98, showing her natural endurance abilities.
She realized early that endurance sports suited her abilities. As she recalled later, she was quite good at running, but skiing was so much more fun that she chose to stick with it.
The combination of running and skiing training helped develop her into the complete athlete she is today. The endurance base from running translates directly to her success in long-distance ski races.
Career Beginnings and Breakthrough
Ebba’s first international championship at the senior level came at the 2017 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. She was still considered a junior athlete at the time, but she competed with the senior Swedish team.
At those World Championships, she won a silver medal in the 4×5 kilometer relay with the Swedish team. This early success showed she belonged at the highest level of the sport.
The 2018 PyeongChang Olympics marked her Olympic debut at age 20. She competed in four events and performed well despite her young age and inexperience.
Her best individual result was fourth place in the skiathlon, finishing just 0.8 seconds behind bronze medalist Krista Pärmäkoski. Coming so close to a medal was both exciting and frustrating, but it motivated her to keep improving.
She also finished 13th in both the 10-kilometer individual and 30-kilometer mass start races. More importantly, she won a silver medal in the relay with the Swedish team, earning her first Olympic medal.
World Championship Success
At the 2019 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Seefeld, Austria, Ebba won her first World Championship gold medal. She was part of the Swedish team that won the 4×5 kilometer relay.
This victory marked a turning point in her career. She proved she could perform when it mattered most and help lead her team to championships.
Over the following years, she continued accumulating World Championship medals. By 2023, she had won three individual gold medals at World Championships, establishing herself as one of the best distance skiers in the world.
In 2023, she won both the skiathlon and the 30-kilometer event at the World Championships, becoming the reigning world champion in both disciplines heading into the 2026 Olympics.
Her consistent performances at World Championships showed she was not just talented but also mentally tough. She could handle the pressure of major competitions and deliver when her country needed her.
2024 Jerring Award
On January 22, 2024, Ebba received one of Sweden’s highest sports honors. She was awarded the Jerring Award for her outstanding performances throughout 2023.
The Jerring Award is given annually to Sweden’s best athlete or team as voted by the Swedish public. Winning this award placed her among Sweden’s most celebrated sports figures.
Her 2023 season included multiple World Championship gold medals and consistent World Cup victories. The Swedish public recognized her dominance in cross-country skiing by voting her as their athlete of the year.
This recognition meant a lot to her and her family. It showed that her hard work and dedication were appreciated not just by skiing fans but by the entire Swedish sporting community.
2026 Winter Olympics Performance
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, Italy, became the defining moment of Ebba’s career. She competed in four events and won four medals, though the journey was far from easy.
Her first medal came in the 20-kilometer skiathlon on February 12, where she won silver. Sweden’s Frida Karlsson won gold, but Ebba’s silver was still a strong performance.
Two days later on February 14, she competed in the women’s 4×7.5-kilometer relay. This race became memorable for the wrong reasons when she crashed hard and lost her right ski during her leg of the relay.
According to reports from Olympics, she got up and plodded along with one ski while carrying the other under her arm, waiting for Sweden’s ski technician to reach her with a replacement.
The ski technician also fell while running to help her, making the situation even worse. The crash dropped Sweden to seventh place, and their hopes for gold seemed lost.
But Ebba showed incredible determination. She finished her leg only 1 minute and 18 seconds behind the leaders, giving her teammates Frida Karlsson and Jonna Sundling a chance to recover.
The team rallied to win silver, though they finished almost 51 seconds behind gold medalists Norway. After the race, Ebba was devastated. “My body is OK, but my heart is not,” she said. “I can’t blame anyone but myself.”
On February 14, she won another silver in the 10-kilometer interval start freestyle race. Once again, she finished behind teammate Frida Karlsson but ahead of most of the world’s best skiers.
Three silver medals in four events was impressive, but Ebba wanted gold. She got her chance in the final cross-country skiing event of the Olympics.
Olympic Gold Medal Victory
On February 22, 2026, Ebba competed in the women’s 50-kilometer mass start classic race. This was the final cross-country skiing event of the Olympics and her last chance for gold.
The race was especially challenging because two of Scandinavia’s medal favorites, Sweden’s Frida Karlsson and Norway’s Astrid Oeyre Slind, withdrew with illness before the start.
Ebba stayed focused despite having fallen in the relay event earlier. She was determined to end the Olympics on a high note after her heartbreaking crash.
A breakaway group formed early, and Ebba was part of it along with eventual medalists Heidi Weng and Nadja Kaelin. She conserved energy on the later laps and positioned herself perfectly for the finish.
On the final uphill climb, she made her move. “On the last lap the tempo wasn’t as high, so I was just trying to ski nicely and save some energy for the finish,” she explained afterward. “I tried until the end not to think about the medal, but then on the last uphill I was thinking, ‘OK, now let’s go for the medal’.”
She pulled away from the pack and crossed the finish line first, winning Olympic gold. Norway’s Heidi Weng finished 2 minutes and 15 seconds behind for silver, and Switzerland’s Nadja Kaelin won bronze.
After crossing the finish line, Ebba’s emotions poured out. The gold medal was especially sweet after winning three silvers earlier in the Games.
“It has been (an) Olympics with both ups and downs,” she told Olympics.com afterward, “and even though I am standing here with four medals out of four, for me there has been some tough moments and especially in the relay. I tried to get both the body and mind back in shape after the fall last week and now it feels amazing to end the Olympics in the best possible way.”
This was her first individual Olympic gold medal and her sixth Olympic medal overall counting her 2018 relay silver. She became one of the most decorated Swedish cross-country skiers in Olympic history.
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Personal Life and Relationship
Ebba is in a relationship with Gustaf Berglund, who is also a cross-country skier on the Swedish national team. The couple shares a passion for the sport and understands the demands of training and competition.
Gustaf also competed at the 2026 Winter Olympics as part of Sweden’s cross-country skiing team. Having a partner who understands the lifestyle of an elite athlete has been important for Ebba.
She keeps most details of her personal life private, preferring to focus public attention on her athletic achievements rather than her relationships. This privacy allows her to maintain normalcy outside of competition.
She currently lives in Östersund, Sweden, which is a major training center for cross-country skiers. The town offers excellent facilities and training conditions for winter sports athletes.
Despite living in Östersund, she still returns to Sollefteå regularly. She considers it her hometown and the place where she goes for final championship preparations or to take breaks from her normal routine.
Net Worth and Financial Reality
Ebba Andersson’s exact net worth is not publicly known. As a professional cross-country skier, her income comes from prize money, national team support, and sponsorships.
Swedish cross-country skiers who perform at the Olympic level receive support from the Swedish Sports Confederation. This includes training stipends, coaching, equipment, and travel expenses.
Prize money from World Cup victories and World Championship medals contributes to her earnings. Olympic medals also come with bonuses from the Swedish Olympic Committee, though exact amounts are not publicly disclosed.
She has endorsement deals with equipment sponsors including Fischer skis and Swix products. These partnerships provide additional income while also supplying her with the best equipment available.
According to her Fischer profile, she has been associated with the brand throughout her career. These types of sponsorships are crucial for professional skiers.
Like most Olympic athletes in winter sports, she is not wealthy by professional sports standards. She pursues cross-country skiing because she loves the sport and the competition, not for financial rewards.
Profile Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Ebba Kristina Andersson |
| Date of Birth | July 10, 1997 |
| Age | 28 years old |
| Birthplace | Delsbo, Sweden |
| Hometown | Sollefteå, Sweden |
| Current Residence | Östersund, Sweden |
| Partner | Gustaf Berglund (cross-country skier) |
| Sport | Cross-Country Skiing |
| Team | Swedish National Team / Piteå Elit SK |
| 2026 Olympics | 1 Gold, 3 Silver medals |
| Career Olympic Medals | 1 Gold, 5 Silver (6 total) |
| World Championships | 4 Individual Gold medals, multiple relay golds |
| Major Honor | Jerring Award 2024 |
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