Eighth place and the personal record in the heptathlon at the European Championships in Munich in August gave a taste of championships.
Bianca Salming immediately set new goals, and she did it in two parts.
Qualify for the indoor EC in Turkey.
Perform in Istanbul.
She managed the first part – despite a tumultuous time when her father, the ice hockey legend Börje Salming, was diagnosed with the nerve disease ALS this summer and died at the end of November.
Ice hockey legend Börje Salming supported daughter Bianca on site during the European Championships in Munich in August. Shortly before, he had received the news that he had suffered from the nerve disease ALS. He died in November. Stock image.”Barely recognizes himself”
“I was very excited before the regular season, because it had gone so well, but so much has happened since then that you hardly recognize yourself,” she says during a press conference at the national athletics team’s hotel on the outskirts of Turkey’s largest city.
— During the regular season, there has been a lot of other things to do. I’ve tried to keep up with athletics as much as possible, but it’s probably the quality that has had dips in between. Since then I have missed a lot of training.
— But it was important for me to keep track and field and not lose another thing in life.
Athletics – and right now the European Championships – have made and are making thoughts not land on what has been.
But the dark moments are still there for the 24-year-old.
— I think it’s like any other person, it swings up and down. It’s so different. You don’t know how to act. It’s up and down. When you are distracted, like now, then it goes well, but when it is quiet and you are alone, then it is more difficult, she says.
Aiming for “pers”
Despite all the noise, she tries to think that it hasn’t affected much and aims to “just drive” and perform when the pentathlon starts on Friday.
The goal is to reach 4,500 points, but most preferably to set a personal record (4,422).
— I don’t want to say any position, but top five. “Persian” is still the most important thing for me, because then I feel that I have done something for myself, that I have moved forward. I know I can do a lot more than the total points I have done before. I see no limits.
— I am in my prime. There shouldn’t be anything holding me back.