December 21, 2011 (Sweden) – According to Scandinavian media reports, Swedish sensation Charlotte Kalla is a possible no-show for the Tour de Ski as a result of an ongoing chest infection. Swedish broadcaster, SVT, reports that Kalla has been struggling with her health for a while and is being treated with antibiotics.

While Swedish coach, Magnus Ingesson, is hopeful that Kalla will be healthy enough to compete in the Tour, it remains possible that she will miss the event entirely.

Kalla, who finished 5th overall in the 2010 Tour de Ski, has been struggling ever since the end of the Kuusamo mini-tour at the end of November, and has managed no better than 13th in her last four races.

The Swedish team has been hard hit by illness in recent weeks. In addition to Kalla, Anders Södergren, Hanna Brodin, Anna Haag and Emil Jönsson have been ill recently, along with Johan Olsson, who will miss the Tour completely due to bronchitis.

See the original SVT report in Swedish HERE.