David Sulkakoski was in the elite line and thus had a good starting position in the 98th Vasaloppet, where almost 16,000 came to the start.
But it was a short race for Sulkakoski who was forced to cancel the race after only a few meters.
- There were some who fell in front of us, so we fell maybe six, seven pieces that were like a big crowd.
There was only one that fell but maybe ten that came together and became like a big cluster and no one came up and so people skied on us.
It's tragic.
This is what they have been charged for, he tells SVT.
In the middle of the start chaos, there were more people who had a hard time.
Ida Dahl, one of the favorites in the women's competition, broke the ski.
- It is clear that it is possible to get an even worse start but almost not.
This has affected some of the race's favorites, says SVT's expert Anders Blomquist.
After a few kilometers, Dahl got a training ski.
SVT's reporter on site, Therese Bosta, gave a report from the starting area.
- It is more or less chaos, people have broken their poles to the right and to the left and we met a guy where the whole ski was off.
The volunteers who are at the first check-up where you can get a new wand say that it has never happened that the wands have worn out so quickly and many have been both upset and sad, she says.