Sapporo: Swedish champ Fredriksson out of worlds

Former sprint world champion and Olympic gold medalist Thobias Fredriksson has withdrawn from the Nordic World Ski Championships after being excluded from Sweden's team for the 15-kilometer cross-country race.

SAPPORO, Japan — Former sprint world champion and Olympic gold medalist Thobias Fredriksson has withdrawn from the Nordic World Ski Championships after being excluded from Sweden's team for the 15-kilometer cross-country race.
    Sweden coach Inge Braten said Fredriksson would not take part in Wednesday's 15-kilometer race due to illness, but organizers later said the Swedish veteran decided to leave the meet in protest.
    Fredriksson won the gold medal in the team sprint event at the Torino Olympics. He also won bronze medals in sprint and the 4×10-kilometer relay at Torino.
    Fredriksson was the sprint world champion at the 2003 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy.