Swedish Cross-Country Skiing Championships facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Swedish Cross-Country Skiing Championships Svenska mästerskapen i längdskidåkning
2013 men's sprint event
Status	active
Genre	sporting event
Date(s)	January–March
Frequency	annual
Location(s)	different
Country	Sweden
Inaugurated	1910 (1910) (men) 1917 (1917) (women)
Organised by	Swedish Ski Association

The Swedish Cross-Country Skiing Championships are a big annual event in Sweden. Skiers compete in cross-country skiing races. This exciting competition is also known as Svenska mästerskapen i längdskidåkning in Swedish.

The very first championships took place in Härnösand in 1910. Back then, only men competed. Women's competitions were added a few years later, starting in 1917. These championships are a major highlight for Swedish cross-country skiers every year.

Where are the Ski Championships Held?

The Swedish Cross-Country Skiing Championships happen in different towns across Sweden each year. This means many places get to host the exciting races. Sometimes, different parts of the championships are even held in different cities during the same year.

Main Event Locations Over Time

The main events have been held in many places since 1910. Here are some of the cities that have hosted the championships:

• Härnösand (1910, 1923, 1949)
• Gävle (1911)
• Bollnäs (1912, 1989)
• Östersund (1913, 1914, 1925, 1932, 1943, 1956, 1969, 1983, 1990, 2000, 2012)
• Stockholm (1917, 1922)
• Sundsvall (1918, 1928, 1940, 1955, 1977, 1998, 2009, 2011, 2019)
• Falun (1935, 1947, 2008, 2013)
• Umeå (1931, 1941, 1952, 1961, 1975, 1976, 1996, 2001, 2014, 2017)
• Skellefteå (1946, 1959, 1971, 1988, 1998, 2004, 2010, 2018)
• Piteå (1978, 1999, 2010, 2016, 2022)
• Borlänge (1970, 1985, 2008, 2021)
• Kiruna (1948, 1968, 1992)

Sometimes, the championships are part of a bigger event called SM-veckan. This is a sports week where many different Swedish championships happen at the same time.

Other Types of Races and Their Locations

Besides the main events, there are also specific championships for different types of cross-country skiing races.

Pursuit Races

Pursuit races involve skiers starting at different times based on earlier results. They try to "pursue" or catch up to the skiers who started before them. These races were held in places like:

• Hudiksvall (1994)
• Sundsvall (1995, 1998)
• Ulricehamn (1996)
• Nässjö (1997, 2004)

Skiathlon Races

Skiathlon is a race where skiers switch between two different skiing styles during the same event. They start with one style, then change skis and poles to finish with the other style.

• Sundsvall (2005) hosted the first Skiathlon championship.

Sprint Races

Sprint races are short, fast, and exciting! Skiers race over a short distance, often in heats, to see who is the quickest.

• Åsarna (2000, 2002)
• Umeå (2001)
• Boden (2003)
• Skellefteå (2004)
• Tynderö (2005)

Roller Skiing Championships

Even when there's no snow, skiers can still compete! Roller skiing uses skis with wheels, allowing athletes to train and race on roads. Sweden also has championships for roller skiing.

• Trollhättan (2010)
• Hudiksvall (2011)
• Lidköping (2012)
• Halmstad (2013)

Images for kids

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  2013 men's sprint event