Double Olympic gold in cross-country skiing.
Now Daniel Rickardsson, 41, is changing sports.
– It will be a challenge for me, he says to SVT.
Daniel Rickardsson is one of Sweden’s most meritorious cross-country skiers. A few years have passed since he chose to end his career, but he has not left the sport completely. Last year he was, among other things, a guide for the visually impaired cross-country skier Zebastian Modin, and it is hard to find a more successful guide.
Changing sports completely
During his career, Daniel Rickardsson became a double Olympic gold champion. First in 2010, in the men’s relay, and in the same distance four years later. There have also been four WC medals, three individual World Cup wins – but now the icon chooses to change sports completely.
According to SVT, Rickardsson has been contacted by the ski national team’s former national team captain Rikard Grip, who is now general secretary of the national biathlon team. It is thus in biathlon that Rickardsson now chooses to take the step over, to become a coach.
– Primarily it’s the skiing and the physical part. Then the idea is that I will be helpful in the shooting part during the course of time and I want to learn that part, says Rickardsson to SVT.
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“Had no dialogue”
At the same time, Daniel Rickardsson believes that the national cross-country team had no contact with the veteran.
– No, I haven’t actually had any dialogue with them and haven’t thought about that part. It’s been a few years since I quit and got into para sports quite early, he says.
However, what happens with Daniel Rickardsson’s collaboration with Zebastian Modin in the future is unclear.
– We are talking about how it will be next season, but nothing is clear. I am also looking at other jobs because biathlon is not full-time.
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