PHOTO: Bildbyrån
There will be no more biathlon for Stina Nilsson.
Going forward, she will now only compete in long races.
Then SVT expert Anders Blomquist comes with a serious warning.
Four years in biathlon was enough Stina Nilsson, who have now had enough. The last two seasons have been really tough for the 30-year-old and now the rifle is hanging up on the famous shelf.
Stina changes sports
Instead, it will be a new change of sport for the Olympic and World Cup gold hero in cross-country skiing. From now on, Nilsson will only compete in long races and she has already signed a two-year contract with a Norwegian team to start skiing Ski Classics.
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It will obviously be a big change for Stina, who became the best in the world in sprints and then had to struggle really hard with biathlon. Now ski expert Anders Blomquist gives his honest view on the Swede’s new venture.
– I was a little surprised, but I also think that it is really an exciting challenge that she is taking on. Stina’s greatest strengths as a skier were her fantastic ability to sprint, to win sprints, and that is a super important characteristic of a good long-distance skier as well, he tells SVT.
Blomquist’s concern
“Blomman” is also worried about Stina Nilsson before the new venture and now gives her a serious warning.
– She is coming back from a year where she has not been as successful, where the skiing has not been as good. It will be a big challenge for her, because the very best in the long-distance world are terribly good and she will probably have to train more than she has ever done. And that is the question, is she prepared to carry out that training?, says the TV expert on cross-country skiing.
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Anders Blomquist still sees that long runs can suit Stina very well and the SVT expert now explains why.
– She was good at both classical and freestyle skating. What she showed that not many people think of when they think of Stina is that she was very good even at the longest distances. She rode fantastically in the Olympics, the three-mile for example, so she was persistent, as can often be the case with good sprinters. It is a strength that she will benefit greatly from this winter, he tells the TV channel and gives his verdict on how things will go next winter.
– Based on the Stina Nilsson we know as a cross-country skier, she can do the most amazing things. It hasn’t been like that in recent years. But is she ready to do the job? Then it will be super fun to follow Stina Nilsson this winter, because then she can do amazing things.
What do you think of Stina Nilsson’s decision? Share the article and have your say!
READ MORE: Coach profile Jean-Marc Chabloz reveals the conversation with Stina Nilsson – that’s why she actually quits: “It weighed on her”
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