At the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, Estonian cross-country skiers struggled in the classic sprint event, with Mariel Merlii Pulles finishing in 40th place. Pulles's time of 3:52.44 saw her fall short by 16 seconds behind the fastest qualifier, Sweden's Linn Svahn, and was 3.21 seconds away from making it to the quarter-finals. This disappointing outcome comes as a setback for the Estonian team, which aimed to perform better in this elite competition.

Pulles expressed her frustrations about her performance, particularly regarding her position as the first starter in the event, calling it her "worst nightmare." She explained that having another skier ahead would have been beneficial for her pacing and strategy during the race. Despite knowing the course's difficulty, Pulles felt that her performance could have been enhanced with better positioning, showcasing the mental as well as physical challenges faced by athletes at the Olympics.

Teesi Tuul, another Estonian competitor, finished 54th, also struggling with the competition and acknowledging her performance was not up to her expectations. She admitted that her recent illness had an impact on her readiness and performance. Both athletes' experiences reflect the pressures and challenges that come with competing at such high levels, particularly when health issues intertwine with performance expectations in the prestigious Olympic arena.