Four years ago, Nikolaj Majorov was on his way to the top of his career, but began to question existence. And when what was supposed to be his first World Cup was canceled due to the 2020 pandemic, he broke down.
The depression became even deeper as the back injuries continued to recur.
– I remember that I was going to do a triple axel, but I only remember that I was lying on the ice in grotesque pain. It hurt so much that the legs just buckled. The counters had a reputation, he says.
“The disk was completely black”
Despite the pain, Majorov continued to train and compete. He succeeded in his big goal, to reach the Olympics in Beijing in 2022. But then the next injury struck and he was forced to pause the season.
– I saw the X-rays. There you can see that one disk was completely black. It had sort of dried up, died out.
He began to seriously consider whether it was really worth it. He refers to vile brain ghosts, where he no longer knew what was right or wrong.
– It was pure hell. I dug in very deep. I was so far down that my dad had to roll me off the couch.
Forced to choose: End the career or focus on something else
The last time he jumped was at the SM in December 2022. In April 2023 came the press release, which revealed that 23-year-old Nikolaj Majorov is quitting as a single skater to focus on ice dancing.
This gave him a new boost in his career. The success with Norwegian partner Milla Ruud Reitan was immediate.
– We have very good chemistry, it almost clicked together too well. A perfect match, says Nikolaj Majorov.
The pair took a place in the Swedish national team immediately and in January 2024 they will make their EC debut. After that, the WC awaits in Canada in March.