Vasaloppet's Winter Week 2022 – interview and summary

Finally, Vasaloppet could arrange races as usual again. Johan Eriksson, CEO of Vasaloppet, how have these past two years been for Vasaloppet?
”Even though we’ve not been able to arrange our usual events, we’re happy to say that people have continued to interact with Vasaloppet and we’ve managed to get people moving on their home turfs during this period. At the same time, it was fantastic and wonderful to be able to welcome everyone back and experience the energy and joy on location during the Winter Week and the first part of our 100th anniversary.”

What did you find extra positive during the Winter Week this year?
”The physical meetings, seeing and experiencing the energy together. And getting to do so with these wonderful conditions; sun, blue skies and nice ski trails. This feeling was further strengthened by the pride and joy from the district, functionaries, the organization and participants who all contributed to celebrate Vasaloppet’s 100th anniversary, and by the fact that we’re continuing this fine tradition.”

This year was the first time since the 90s that skate style was allowed in Öppet Spår, how was it received?
”Some were perhaps a bit hesitant and unsure about combining classic and skate style in the same track, but our experience from Nattvasan, among other things, assured us that it would work well. Which it also did. Happily enough, we see that both experienced and new skiers are curious about skate style and we look forward to continuing to offer this possibility in Öppet Spår Monday, and thereby contributing to the increased interest.”

What are you looking forward to this summer?
”Finally being able to hold our new running races on location; Trailvasan 10 and Trailvasan 30, which we launched several years ago. With these races added alongside our ultrarunning races and relays, we hope to attract more participants. It’s also very exciting to follow the strong mountain bike trend that has led to more people finding this type of cycling, and the interest seems to be spreading among young and old alike. We saw the energy during the Winter Week and we’re looking forward and longing to welcoming everyone back to the Vasaloppet Arena in summer too.”

How have you experienced the 100th anniversary so far?
”It feels very inspiring that we’ve had such a good impact with activities aimed to achieve our 100th anniversary objective; to set Sweden in motion. We started with a movement tour across Sweden, then the Vasastreak, followed by celebrations in Dalarna, beginning with the fantastic Jubileumsvasan. And now, Vasaloppet’s Winter Week managed to get over 50,000 registered participants back out on the ski track again after these years without exercise races. It’s great to look back at the first part of the anniversary year and see how Vasaloppet continues to inspire the joy of movement. We are really looking forward to the summer and to meeting cyclists and runners and continuing our 100th anniversary in August.”

FACTS/ Vasaloppet’s Winter Week 2022 in numbers
– The 16 different races in Vasaloppet’s Winter Week 2022 (including Jubileumsvasan, Vasaloppet Hemma and Barnens Vasaloppet in Sälen and in Mora) attracted 51,674 registered participants this year.

– Of those registered in 2022, there were 41,468 starting participants and 95.1 percent of these, 39,424 participants, reached the finish line (including the five sections of Stafettvasan).

– During this year’s Winter Week, the total number of skiers across the finish line in Vasaloppet history amounted to 1,500,000. If you also include all the summer finishes, the number reaches over 1.7 million.

– In Vasaloppet 2022 (the 98th Vasaloppet race), 92.1 percent of the 13,091 starters made it all the way from the start in Berga by to the finish in Mora.

– With the 12,051 who finished in Mora in Vasaloppet on March 6, there have now been 612,472 finishes registered in the 98 Vasaloppet since 1922.

– If you look at all 98 races since 1922, the average time and median time in Vasaloppet is 7.58.17 and 7.54.00.

– 1,497 men and 107 women received achievement medals in Vasaloppet 2022. Those who finish their race within the victory time plus 50 percent receive the achievement medal. The medal time for men was 5.18.27 and for women 5.45.09.

– Participants in Vasaloppet’s Winter Week 2022 came from 62 different countries. (The record is 70 countries in 2018). 86.4 percent of this year’s participants were from Sweden and consequently 13.6 percent were from other countries. Most of these were from Norway 2.4 percent, Denmark 1.6 percent, Germany 1.2 percent and Finland 1.1 percent. (In 2019, 90 percent of participants came from Sweden and in 2020 they were 86.5 percent.)

– 33.9 percent of those starting during the Vasaloppet Winter Week 2022 were women and 66.1 percent men. In Vasaloppet 2022, 17.3 percent of starters were women and 82.7 percent men.

– Astrid Öyre Slind’s time of 3.50.06 was the 75th best time overall in Vasaloppet 2022. Only two other women, Lina Korsgren who came 57th in 2020 and Justyna Kowalczyk who came 71st in 2015, have done better in this regard.

– Britta Johansson Norgren, like Sofia Lind before her, has now appeared in the Vasaloppet top 10 ten times in a row. Since 2013, Britta has placed 6, 2, 2, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 7, 2 in Vasaloppet. (In Tjejvasan, Britta has also been in the top 10 for ten years in a row, including five victories). Most top 10 placements in total for Vasaloppet’s women’s class belong to Laila Kveli, who finished 9th this year. Laila has now been in the top 10 eleven times, though not in a row.

– Anders Aukland, who won Vasaloppet in 2004 and who turns 50 on September 12, came 9th in Vasaloppet this year and has thus been in the Vasaloppet top 10 thirteen times, having started sixteen times. However, this is not the record. (Stanislav Rezác has been among the top 10 fifteen times. This is followed by Oskar Svärd 14, Anders Aukland 13, Anders Törnkvist and Jörgen Aukland 12, Nils Karlsson and Daniel Tynell 10.)

TV viewers, paybacks and newlyweds
– Sveriges Television’s five-hour live broadcast of Vasaloppet 2022 on SVT1 was watched by 2,834,000 viewers (the average was 1,495,000 viewers). The week before, Tjejvasan was broadcast live for the eleventh year in a row. Tjejvasan was seen this year by an average of 200,000 viewers.

Clara Henry and official Vasaloppet coach Mattias Svahn were skiing reporters with their own broadcast on SVT Play. This year, Clara finished and the broadcast had 513,000 stream starts.

Someone who got her Vasaloppet payback – after 18 years – was Susanna Lindberg from Falun:
Swedish Radio interview >
Swedish Television SVT Sport on Facebook >

– The number of newlyweds after the ski-in weddings at the finish: 16 couples (3 of which were during Nattvasan and 6 on the Vasaloppet Sunday).

Bonus cheques
– This year, Vasaloppet paid out two bonus cheques of SEK 50,000 for two new record times: Britta Johansson Norgren set a new track record by winning Tjejvasan with a time of 1.15.39. Vasaloppet also saw a new record time for the ladies: Astrid Öyre Slind’s victory time was 3.50.06. Her victory time is the seventh fastest in Vasaloppet history (including all men’s class winners).

However, Tord Asle Gjerdalen’s record time of 3.28.18 from Vasaloppet 2021 wasn’t broken, as Andreas Nygaard’s victory time was 3.32.18.

This means that the three winners were awarded:
Britta Johansson Norgren: 175,000 SEK (First prize in Tjejvasan 50,000 + record bonus 50,000 + sprint prize 5000; Second prize in Vasaloppet 50,000 + sprint prizes 20,000)
Astrid Öyre Slind: 163,000 SEK (First prize in Vasaloppet 98,000 + record bonus 50,000 + sprint prizes 15,000)
Andreas Nygaard: 98,000 SEK (First prize in Vasaloppet 98,000)

Veterans
– You can call yourself a Vasaloppet veteran after 30 races (one race counted per year). Five Vasaloppet veterans skied their 50th race this year, meaning that there are now 52 gents who have skied 50 races or more. The five were Folke Sjöberg, Lund; Rune Persson, Malung; Stig Berg, Bondsjöböle; Stig Liljeström, Täby; and Sven-Erik Eriksson, Borlänge, who at 87 years old is the oldest ever to complete his 50th race.

– This year’s record holder is Gösta Lönnelid who skied his 60th race. Thereby he matched Bengt Eriksson and Börje Karlsson’s record of 60 races each. This year, Gösta Lönnelid skied Öppet Spår Monday in 7.08.44. He made his debut in the Vasaloppet track in 1962, the same year that Sixten Jernberg and Assar Rönnlund were defeated by Janne Stefansson, who won his first of seven victories.

– Veteran Carina Hammarstrand from Ängelholm skied nine of the races this year, making for a total of 454 km. She has now finished 192 times on skis in Mora.

– 19-year-old Emma Löfqvist from Örebro may well become a veteran in about 30 years. This year she skied all five 90-kilometre races (including Jubileumsvasan): 450 km!

Visma Ski Classics
– With three races now left of this year’s Visma Ski Classics, Andreas Nygaard is at the top of the men’s overall cup and Britta Johansson Norgren is in the lead among the women.

– Remaining races (all of which are broadcast live on SVT):
Saturday, March 26: Årefjällsloppet, 100 km, Vålådalen, Sweden
Saturday, April 2: Reistadløpet, 50 km, Setermoen–Bardufoss, Norway
Saturday, April 9: Ylläs-Levi, 70 km, Ylläs–Levi, Finland

Registration for Vasaloppet’s Winter Week 2023 – train a whole year
– Registration for the 99th Vasaloppet and the other races in Vasaloppet’s Winter Week 2023 opens on Sunday, March 27, 2022 at 09.00 on vasaloppet.se. Vasaloppet 2023 will run on Sunday, March 5, 2023.

Vasaloppet’s Winter Week takes place every year with several cross-country ski races over the course of ten days, finishing with the classic Vasaloppet on the first Sunday in March. All races run in the Vasaloppet track, in the Vasaloppet Arena; a ninety kilometre scenic nature reserve between Sälen and the famous finish line portal in Mora.

The first race, running on the first Friday, is Vasaloppet 30 from Oxberg to Mora. On Saturday, Tjejvasan runs along the same stretch. Sunday follows with Ungdomsvasan for youths up to the age of 16, starting in Eldris and Hökberg.

Öppet Spår, starting in Sälen, runs on both Sunday and Monday. Öppet Spår Monday is a freestyle race, which means you can choose between classic skiing and skate. On Tuesday it’s time for Vasaloppet 45, which starts in Oxberg and runs along the Oxberg lake before joining up with the Vasaloppet track.

Friday means Stafettvasan, a relay race that splits the course from Sälen to Mora into five sections. The night to Saturday is when Nattvasan 90, Nattvasan 45 and Nattvasan 30 take place – where skate style is permitted, and you can go individually or in couples. On Saturday everyone can try the last 9 kilometres in Vasaloppet 10. The week warps up with the world’s biggest cross-country ski race, the massive Vasaloppet where 15,800 registered participants ski along what’s been called the ”main artery of Swedish skiing”!

Sign up now and you’ll have a year to get ready. There is still snow in the Vasaloppet Arena and Vasaloppet will prepare ski tracks as long as it’s possible this spring. Feel free to contact a ski club or coach to train.