The victory in the sprint competition in Annecy, France in December was the Christmas present of a lifetime.
— It meant a lot, it came as a bit of a shock. A real milestone in my career, a very good day, says the 27-year-old.
It wasn’t just her first World Cup victory, it was her very first podium and just the third top-ten result individually.
She drives today’s sprint race in the WC in Oberhof, Germany, with a completely different feeling than at previous championships, with better confidence.
— Yes, I would say that, of course. I’ve been on another level this season and know I can do really well. Of course it’s a different confidence and calmness. In the past I have had to fight to get started.
When Anna Magnusson and Hanna Öberg moved from Piteå to Sollefteå to start biathlon high school, Magnusson was the biggest talent.
“She was actually sharper than Hanna when they went here,” says high school coach Kari Korpela.
— But then Anna had so many problems, with her legs and feet, bouts of illness and injuries, so she didn’t get the same development as Hanna.
Busy when the friend won
Magnusson admits that when she was younger it was a bit difficult when Öberg won.
— Yes, it was a bit difficult there for a while. She was my biggest competitor for many years. But we were very good friends and when she took a really big step and won Olympic gold (2018) I could fully rejoice with her, I’m very happy about that.
Hanna Öberg says she was very happy about Magnusson’s victory.
— I wish her every success. She has had a few years when she didn’t get everything out, says Öberg.
After the World Cup victory, Anna Magnusson no longer doubts her ability.
One of Magnusson’s many problems has been getting boots to fit.
“I had a bit of a problem with the shins and got tired in my feet, so during the last laps I got so tired in my feet that it became difficult to stand straight on the things,” she says.
Wrist surgery
Just before the WC 2019, she got a pain in her wrist that she had to have surgery on during the summer.
— And one year I went too hard with training and didn’t get enough rest and went on a little spree. It has been a process of working my way back.
TT: Did you ever think of giving up?
— Of course the thought struck me when things didn’t go as planned. Then it was easy to think about whether I should do something else. “Is this worth it, why am I doing this?” Completely reasonable questions to ask yourself and seek answers to, she says.
— But each time I have found reasons to continue. Somewhere I’ve felt that I can’t stop until I’ve done everything I could and given myself the chance to be the best I can be.
Magnusson says that she had doubts, but at the same time she still thought that she was better than what she had received. And that after the victory she now feels very satisfied with biathlon life.
— It means a lot to see that I can actually join and fight high up.
Going to get out
Anna Magnusson works with a mental coach. Previously, they mostly talked about questions like why she was doing it. But more recently, the conversations have been more performance-oriented.
— How I should work mentally to prepare for the shooting and things like that. Shooting can be hugely frustrating, I had a year where I shot very well in practice but it didn’t work at all in competition. It was in my head that it was the wrong focus in the context of the competition.
Her goal in the WC is to be more offensive and dare to go for higher positions without taking any chances.
— Above all, that I should dare to go skiing. It is a big goal that I should really be able to do my best, she says before the sprint race.