Photo: Bildbyrån
Therese Johaug is aiming for the WC in Trondheim next year.
Now Charlotte Kalla tells us how she feels about her own comeback on the ski slopes.
– Then it turned out that I thought it was so much fun to compete again, she says to Dagens Nyheter.
When Charlotte Kalla37, put the skis on the shelf in March 2022, she did so as Sweden’s most successful skier ever on the women’s side. Nine Olympic medals (three of which are gold), 13 World Cup medals, a Tour de Ski win and a Jerring gold medal are no joke.
Call for Johaug’s comeback
One of Kalla’s biggest rivals during the years she competed was the Norwegian Therese Johaug36. In addition to competing, the two are good friends and Kalla was present at both Johaug’s bachelorette party and wedding – but when they stood side by side on the starting line, the situation was different. The Norwegian also ended her career after the 2021/2022 season, but she has made a new venture focusing on the home WC in Trondheim in February-March next year.
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Both Johaug and Kalla have had their first children, but that doesn’t stop Therese from training like crazy to get in championship shape. In an interview with Dagens Nyheter, Kalla admits that she does not know what level the ex-competitor will be able to maintain, but she knows that Johaug is an athlete who really goes for what she does with 100 percent focus and that she is a source of inspiration. She will eagerly follow the Norwegian’s progress this winter.
Charlotte Called’s announcement of a comeback
Of course, the daily newspaper asks how Charlotte herself views a possible comeback in the skiing track. It turns out that she has a clear picture of what she wants the future to look like.
– I feel satisfied with my career and look forward to continuing to follow all the others from the sidelines. There is a lot to look forward to in the coming seasons, with first the WC in Trondheim, then the Olympics in Italy in 2026 and the WC in Falun in 2027, she says.
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At the same time, she says that there was a small possibility before that she would have grabbed a comeback, but that those thoughts then disappeared.
– Before the recording of Mästarnas mästerna, I thought it might be good to take part in a running competition to test wearing a number tag again so that it wouldn’t be a shock when I got there. Then it turned out that I thought it was so much fun to compete again, and when I saw that there was a new competition in three days, my first thought was that maybe I should take part in it too, she says and continues:
– But I realized quite quickly that I should calm down a bit. My time with number plates is over. So no there is no opening for a comeback.
Sad that Charlotte Kalla is not keen to compete again. We Swedes would have absolutely loved that! You get to enjoy your new motherhood out of the limelight instead. Great luck!
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