When Anja Pärson ended her alpine skiing career in 2012, she had 19 championship medals including 7 WC golds. From “Master of Masters” she was immediately wooed but resisted. She wanted distance from her skiing career before competing on television.
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For last year’s round, she finally accepted but injured her calf during a training session before the TV shoot and had to drop out. The knowledge that she would be competing against Niels van der Pohl – who also won – had pushed her to train hard. This year it went better.
— I enjoy moving. My goal is that whatever sport the children want to play, my body can handle it, she says.
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Anja Pärson: “Went to a dark place”
The recordings were made over three weeks last autumn when the participants only had one full day of rest. At the final duel late at night out in a dark field, she wanted both to win and to disappear.
— We went to a dark place in the middle of nowhere where only the track itself was lit. The feeling was a little weird, I think we both wanted to get this done. It was also a tension, we were tired after a long recording.
The outcome was uncertain to the last; none of them gave up.
— You drive until it’s over. I guess I have some ability to pick up what is needed when it matters. I have thought about that – that even in a “Master of Champions” final I managed to get through.
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Anja Pärson – winner of the Champion of Champions 2024
A big benefit of the recordings was being able to air her sporting life together with the other participants, she says.
— As fun as it was to regain this nerve, it was just as hard to be reminded of the part of one’s life where you gave everything. It was clear in “The Champions” that everyone loved to win as a team, but individually we were much more low-key when we did win. The joy of winning together was much greater than winning alone.
But aren’t you a little happy about the victory?
— Absolutely. Everyone went there to win. But it was more fun to win with Sebastian than knocking him out in a final.
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