PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Anna-Carin Zidek became “ACO” with the entire Swedish people.
Today, the Swedish Olympic gold hero lives a completely different life.
– Now so much time has passed that I don’t miss it anymore, admits Zidek in an interview with Sportbibeln.
During the early 2000s hit Anna-Carin Zidek, then Olofsson, through big and became a Swedish national hero in biathlon. In just five years, she collected six World Cup medals and Olympic gold and Olympic silver and wrote herself into the history books.
Zidek’s success
But she would have to fight for success after starting out as a cross-country skier. Because it was the switch to biathlon as a 29-year-old that started her career in earnest and the Swede reached her full potential.
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Already during his first Winter Olympics as a biathlete in Turin in 2006, the biggest success of his career would come when Zidek first took Olympic silver in the sprint. Then she ran the race of her life to win a very successful Olympic gold in the mass start.
– The Olympics in Turin are one of the great memories, of course. I also remember the mixed relay gold we won in Antholtz (WC 2007) well, says Anna-Carin in an interview with Sportbibeln and tells more about the Olympic success in 2006.
– I don’t remember much about the race itself. It was a bit up and down from race to race. You doubted yourself, but what I remember was watching the women’s relay, because we didn’t have a Swedish relay team then. I saw the Russian team, who won the relay, and it looked so easy on the shooting range, so then I also got the feeling before the mass start race that it’s not that hard, really. Then I gained the self-confidence that made things better for me.
The new life of “ACO”.
Just five years later, her career ended in 2011 and since then Anna-Carin Zidek has chosen a different career path in life. Today, the Swedish Olympic gold medalist is 50 years old and works as a special sports teacher/coach at Härjedalen’s high school, with a focus on biathlon.
– I have been on cross-country skiing before, but have shifted more to biathlon because we got more students. It’s great fun working with the young people and trying to inspire them, to do the work it takes to become a good biathlete. You have a lot of experience, so I can help them gain knowledge that I would have needed at that age, says ACO in the interview.
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When she looks back on her own career, there is nothing she misses, like this 13 years after leaving the sport.
– Well, now so much time has passed that I don’t miss it anymore. It was probably the first years that I could feel that you missed the competitions. But the reason I stopped was because the training wasn’t fun anymore, I don’t miss it anymore, she admits.
– I have thought several times to take out the gun and shoot a little, because it is so much fun, but it has never happened.
READ MORE: Anna-Carin Zidek says exactly what she thinks of Björn Ferry – the words about his efforts in television: “Some comments…”
Anna-Carin Zidek also finds it difficult to watch biathlon these days and follow the Swedish successes that she has helped to found, by paving the way for new women’s skiers.
– I try to keep up with what the results are, but I don’t have time to sit and watch Vinterstudion all weekends, unfortunately, she tells Sportbibeln.
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