Planica. When superstar trio Frida Carlson, Maja Dalqvist and Lyn Svan are absent, the national team skaters lift each other up.
Ebba Andersson has received a unique solution, expertise is brought in from Norway, Jonna Sundling shows the way through her hard training and Anna Dyvik is back with an important routine.
“It’s obviously notable because there are three strong girls missing in training, but the feeling here is still very good,” says Ebba Anderson.
Moa Ilar corrects Anna Davex Zippering on the colorful jacket, Emma Riboom runs her fingers through her hair until the threads fly and sting. Ebba Anderson Jonna Sundling joined the group in the meadow on the outskirts of the WC Kranjska Resort Gora is a whole team.
Six skaters for the Swedish national team led by this winter’s great Olympic queen, Jonah Sondling, brought home gold, silver and bronze from China.
The Swedish national skating team is such a strong group that the individuals sat together last spring and made the rules for preparations for the season.
It was about how we dealt with each other, how to adapt to everyone’s differences. We are different individuals and we have different needs, while you should never forget the team, says Ebba Anderson.
Camp gatherings also include young Bauhaus skiers, to which, among others, power packs Moa Lundgren and Moa Hansson belong.
Frida Carlson, Maja Dalqvist and Lyn Svan are missing from the first team for the upcoming WC season, which was a wake-up call to managing the national skateboarding team, which opened up new ways of thinking but also meant net losses.
Unique solution for Ebba
At the site in Blanica, a valley in northwest Slovenia surrounded by dramatic mountain peaks with borders to Italy and Austria on a ski trip away, the national team squad is welded together as the sparring and expertise of skiers like Maja Dalqvist and Frida Karlsson are missing.
– There are three strong girls who notice that they are missing in training. It’s a very high level they can contribute to. At the same time, there are still many strong girls here, and what I feel is that we had a good atmosphere at the gatherings we’ve been to, says Ebba Anderson.
The lack of Frida Carlson, the distance skater who can challenge Ebba Anderson when it comes down to it, is not there to rise to the challenge.
– Of course, this means that you lose a strong girl who looks like your riding profile. You missed training with her. I have to start from my position and do it as best I can, even though she is at home, says Ebba Anderson.
Stefan Thompson, coach of the women’s national team, points to individual solutions to counteract the losses that have occurred.
– In some sessions the boys get stuck. it was amazing. Others do, but it’s basically Ebba in the longer lanes. Stefan Thompson says it’s a good level for her to be there.
He was self-critical
After spring turmoil and defections from the Swedish national ski team’s coaching group, Stefan Thompson opted to be open-minded.
– You have to listen from all sides. Some are still on the team and they are satisfied with most things, those who left were dissatisfied and then of course you have to be sensitive and see it from many sides. We are investigating how we work. It’s an ongoing process, and it’s a sign of freshness, he says.
Among other things, the criticisms of Maja and Frida revolved around the fact that there is so little involvement from the management of the national team among all the camps and that in the sessions you did not improve the content, so what do you say about that?
– These are some of the pieces of the puzzle that we had to absorb, some that get that feeling, and then there are other skaters that feel like they’ve had a lot of sessions.
– I took this subject from the deficiencies between the camps personally. To be more active, to be more on site, to visit the skiers, and there I feel there is a plus as a national team coach if you can be closer in everyday life,” Stefan Thompson says.
He is in close contact with the personal trainers of the abandoned skaters and feels confident that the trio will maintain a high pre-season level when they are integrated into the national team competitions.
Of course, he has better control over the skaters in the national team training group.
When Sportbladet recently visited the national team in Planica, it was a playoff session on the morning schedule. Four minutes of pace, ten to fifteen times, with the ambition to be at equal times. While Ebba Anderson and Emma Reboom were driving together, Jonah Anderson chose to go alone.
The danger when you’re in a group is that you’re dependent on others, even if you know you have to keep up your pace, says Jonna Sundling.
Stefan Thompson and new national team coach Ingrid Vikman stood on top of the ice rink and captured the riders for test and praise after each completed interval.
-Now there were a few sprints and I’m between four and six and seven mmol a bit, says Jonna Sundling about acid tests.
– They implement it technically well and keep the times. It feels good and sexy, the set looks really good, says Inger Vikman.
“fun with a woman”
She’s looking forward to seeing the additions Frida Carlson, Maja Dalqvist, and Lyn Svan who hopefully is healthy this winter.
– I have not participated before and have not been fully involved in this process. She says it is really exciting to see when they come back.
Ingrid Vikman, a former figure skater with World Cup benefits, has been active in Norway. She brought experiences with her to Sweden – and noticed the Swedish advantage.
– I think Sweden is far ahead on the enemy side, and here I see that they are also and they have other priorities.
Appreciate her access to the national team. Anna Devik, who herself chose to return to the training group after one year, noted that Inger Vikman brought positive experiences.
– It’s fun having a woman with you. They are very good at technology and give a lot of input. We’ve heard and practiced for the ball this fall, says Anna Devick, it has given me so much.
When Anna Davík made the decision to return to the national team, she learned that star trio Carlson, Dalqvist, and Svan were faltering.
– I knew it in part, I talked to them that they were thinking about it, and then I was still disappointed that they were not there. When you’re on a national team, of course you want to train with the best. It was a shame they didn’t want to join. But I understand them, you did the same, you have to do what is good for yourself.
What do you do for the team?
– I don’t think it makes much difference, we are a lot of good girls here, but you obviously want to train with the best.
Would you have made a different decision if you had received their letter before?
– No, I didn’t have that.
Why is it important for you to participate?
Being in the camp with the other girls. That was the driving force I would say. I noticed that it was a good idea for me to tailor the training according to my body. Then maybe it’s a bit boring to be at home and train a lot on your own, even though there are many people in Falun to train with.
Stefan Thompson is optimistic about the toilet season this winter.
When something like this happens, you have to open the book and see what you do well and what we do less. But I think there are many good things that we do in the national team. We have a fairly good development of the riders. “I think we will have a very strong women’s team this winter,” he says.
