Swedish crash makes way for Norway to win 1st women’s cross-country gold in relay at Milan Cortina

TESERO, Italy (AP) — A broken ski and a slushy course upended the women’s cross‑country relay Saturday, sending Norway to victory as powerhouse Sweden suffered a Valentine’s Day heartbreak at the Milan Cortina Games. Ebba Andersson tumbled and snapped the ski binding in the second leg, giving Norway the advantage on a day where warm weather caused slushy corners that created havoc in the early stages.

Andersson slipped twice before the bad fall that cost the Swedes more than a minute in the race. The 28-year-old pushed forward on one ski before being handed a replacement, and her teammates fought back to finish with the silver.

In the stands, Norway fans celebrated by holding up red Valentine's hearts.

Norway anchor Heidi Weng crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 15 minutes and 44.8 seconds to win the 4 x 7.5 kilometer relay, 50.9 seconds ahead of Sweden. Finland took bronze 1 minute, 14.7 seconds behind the winners.

“This is not the way I had imagined the race,” Weng said. “I told myself not to go all out from the start, to just find a good rhythm and enjoy being out there. Most importantly, it was to stay on my feet on the downhills.”

Jessie Diggins, anchoring the United States, finished fifth 1 minute, 52.2 behind Norway.

Rainfall and tough course conditions forced many athletes to race cautiously at Tesero, northern Italy. A group of chasing athletes tumbled on the first bend.

Weng was wrapped in a Norwegian flag by teammates as she crossed the finish line and the team later consoled Andersson with a hug before the medal ceremony.

Despite the fightback, the Swedes, who had one all three previous races, were crestfallen.

“My body is OK but my heart is not,” Andersson said. “I can’t blame anyone but myself. I didn’t act well enough in that moment. Then we had the worst possible bad luck with the broken ski. It was mostly panic and chaos through that entire leg.”

Sweden had started the race as strong favorites, having won seven out of nine medals in the women's cross country competition.

Their winning caliber was on display in the freestyle half of the relay: Frida Karlsson and anchor Jonna Sundling pushed past six other teams in medal contention, overtaking Finland in the final ascent.

“Before the race, I reminded myself that you never really know what you’re heading out into,” Sundling said. “After what happened during the race, not every team would have been able to handle that.”

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Frida Karlsson, of Sweden, walks off the course after completing her leg of the cross country skiing women's 4 x 7.5km relay at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Jessie Diggins, of the United States, competes in the cross country skiing women's 4 x 7.5km relay at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Jonna Sundling, Frida Karlsson, Ebba Andersson, and Linn Svahn, of Sweden, stands on the podium after winning the silver medal in the cross country skiing women's 4 x 7.5km relay at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Jonna Sundling, of Sweden, approaches the finish line in the cross country skiing women's 4 x 7.5km relay at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Heidi Weng, of Norway, celebrates after winning the gold medal in the cross country skiing women's 4 x 7.5km relay at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Astrid Oeyre Slind, of Norway, competes in the cross country skiing women's 4 x 7.5km relay at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Ebba Andersson, of Sweden, tags teammate Frida Karlsson, right, during the cross country skiing women's 4 x 7.5km relay at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Astrid Oeyre Slind, of Norway, tags teammate Karoline Simpson-Larsen, right, during the cross country skiing women's 4 x 7.5km relay at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Ebba Andersson, of Sweden, competes in the cross country skiing women's 4 x 7.5km relay at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Muslim pilgrims from around the world congregated on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the second official day of the annual Islamic pilgrimage, considered the pinnacle of the Hajj.

Despite the sweltering heat, the pilgrims gathered on the rocky hill and surrounding plain for intense prayers and worship that often mark a spiritual peak for them. They fervently murmured prayers and poured their hearts out in supplications. Many raised their hands in worship. It is common for pilgrims on that day, some with tears streaming down their faces, to ask God for forgiveness, mercy, blessings and good health.

The Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is required once in a lifetime for every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to perform it.

For pilgrims, the Hajj, performed over several days, can be a deeply moving spiritual experience and a chance to seek God’s forgiveness and the erasure of past sins. As they brave the intense heat to perform religious rituals, many pilgrims have been using umbrellas for shade.

A Saudi official said on Friday that more than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in the country from abroad.

This year, Muslims have been pouring into Saudi Arabia for the Hajj against the backdrop of a tenuous ceasefire in the Iran war and related uncertainty in the region.

The U.S. military said Monday that it carried out “self-defense” strikes in southern Iran, including on missile launch sites and boats used to lay mines, even as President Donald Trump said on social media that negotiations with Tehran were “proceeding nicely." Iran on Tuesday denounced the most recent U.S. strikes as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability” as negotiations pressed on toward a possible deal to end the war.

For many, performing the Hajj can be a realization of a lifelong dream as they spend years hoping and praying to one day be able to undertake the pilgrimage or saving up money and waiting for a permit to embark on the trip.

“This happens once in a lifetime,” Mohammad Asal, an Egyptian pilgrim, said. “People here have prepared their prayers, hoping that God will respond to them, because we know that ... the most important ritual of the Hajj is being in Arafat.”

The Hajj brings together large numbers of Muslims of diverse races, ethnicities, languages and socioeconomic classes, creating a sense of unity for many. It’s a mass, communal experience, with Muslims performing rituals together. But it is also deeply personal, as every pilgrim brings their own yearnings and experiences.

“It was incredible,” Ahmed Sufyan, a pilgrim from the United States, said on Tuesday. “The unity and peace that we feel is something I’ve never experienced before,” he added via WhatsApp.

“Our wishes are many,” Mohammad Obaid, a Sudanese pilgrim, said, adding he was praying for Sudan and Muslims everywhere.

Fam reported from Winter Park, Florida.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

A Muslim pilgrim pray atop of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims walk towards the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims are silhouetted as they pray at top of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims pray at top of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims read a copy of Islam's holy book Quran atop of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)