In Sweden there are sprint aces such as Maja Dahlqvist, Linn Svahn, Emma Ribom and Jonna Sundling. And behind that there are several Swedish skiers who want to be part of the fight. This year, with no championships on the calendar, distance specialists such as Frida Karlsson, Moa Ilar and Ebba Andersson also hope to collect points in the sprint to position themselves in the overall World Cup.
"I don't think it's ever been so tough. I think Ebba will want to come in there and fight to get points with her. It's important to have a good, consistent form that lasts in order to continue skiing," says Moa Lundgren.
"I think it will be important"
And indeed, Ebba Andersson has her sights set on the sprint races as well, even if she calls it easier said than done to break into the team. The 26-year-old has had a lot of focus on sprints during the pre-season.
"You have to be on your toes. It's tough to even drive," she says.
Andersson, who won two gold and two bronze medals at the World Championships last spring, sees it as a great challenge to develop his sprint qualities as such a pronounced distance skier.
"Many times it is much easier to go from being someone who possesses sprint qualities to developing your endurance and with that perform better at distance. It's harder to walk from the other direction and all of a sudden become more explosive.
"For me, it's about not getting carried away by my skiing and really getting out the little power I have. I'm not a sprint cannon like some others in our team. You have to be on your toes.
"Everyone can win"
Maja Dahlqvist, who won the Sprint Cup last year, believes the competition in the Swedish team is a big reason for the success. Everyone in the team can win on the right day, she says.
"If you have a place in the team, you can win, that's the way it is. And you could be poked and maybe be the one who would have had the best day. There are so many strong girls we have.