Photo: Bildbyrån
Maja Dahlqvist is the oldest of the ladies in the national cross-country team.
This summer, she changed her plan and reduced the number of training hours, so that her body could cope.
– More hard and less volume, she tells Sportbibeln.
In January 2018 took Maja Dahlqvist his first podium in the World Cup, in the sprint in Dresden, Germany. The following day, she made sure that Sweden’s second team won the relay thanks to her sprinting for the best Stina Nilsson. Over the years, she has picked up two WC golds, two Olympic silvers, 38 podium finishes at the World Cup.
Maja Dahlqvist has turned 30
The main focus of the season is of course the WC in Trondheim 2025. Just like with Jonna Sundling and Lynn Svahn it is no secret that it is precisely the sprint that Dahlqvist will focus on the most. That is where she is most successful and has the greatest chance of winning. Therefore, the pre-season has been very much about strengthening the sides and qualities that are already good, in order to optimize the form for the championship.
– Yes, I have tried something new. For me, it was a bad season last year, so I started over with a new bullet this spring and am testing myself a bit to see what responds well and what doesn’t. Because I still don’t know what went wrong. I’m testing myself a little and still went a little more towards developing my strengths, she says to Sportbibeln.
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In her case, this means that she trained fewer sessions, but extra hard and intensively on what makes her a better sprinter.
– Went a little more towards sprinting and a little harder and less volume. A little more towards sprinting specifically.
Is it because it is WC year?
– Yes, and because I’m 30 (I turned 15 on April), I think.
Dahlqvist bets on the sprint
It is clear that Maja, who is the oldest of all the ladies in the national cross-country team, has started to focus more on really taking care of her body and listening to the signals.
– It has been a lot for me in the past that the better I get at endurance, the better I get at sprinting too. Now I think I have so much training behind me, so many hours, so then I believe in lowering the volume and increasing the speed, she says.
READ MORE: Maja Dahlqvist’s support for injured friend Frida Karlsson
The 30-year-old also doesn’t think it’s worth continuing to focus as much on the long distances as she did in previous years, because that only means that her sprinting qualities will suffer.
– In order to get even better at distance, I have to work on my sprinting skills. I have not finished better than sixth in a distance race in the World Cup and in a sprint I can win. For me it’s about going a hundred for sprints now rather than being top 10 at distance.
Lovely Maja, many of us are keeping our fingers crossed that you get a good start to the season. 30 is no age, of course you can drive for a good while more. Great luck!
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