PHOTO: Bildbyrån/TT Nyhetsbyrån
In March 2018, Anna Jönsson Haag announced that she was ending her skiing career.
But what many may not know is that she is actually still active.
– Skiing is so much fun, she says.
Anna Jönsson The Hague had her big breakthrough during the 2007-2008 season, where she came fifth in 10 kilometers in Slovakia’s Davos, among other things. Ten years later, she announced her retirement after the 2017-2018 season, after more than ten years in the spotlight.
“Wants to develop”
In those ten years, Anna Jönsson Haag had succeeded in bringing home an Olympic gold, an Olympic silver and four medals in the WC. But even though the investment in the more traditional distances came to an end, the desire to ski did not disappear.
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And on Saturday, she steps into her second full season in Ski Classics.
– It’s a bit back to basic; like when I was younger, maybe 13-14 years old, when I loved being out at competitions; the social and I like to take in and the feeling after training or a race. Now I have removed that thing about having to perform in order to go to the next competition. It is only the joy of skiing that drives me, says Jönsson Haag to the site Längd.se.
– Then it’s different now compared to when I bet against the World Cup. Now it is mainly against myself that I compete. Then I still want to develop.
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Charging in Austria
During the last season, there were a total of nine competitions in Ski Classics, where in all races she ended up between positions 10-21. The best placing came in the Italian Marcialonga where she finished tenth.
– The goal for the season is that I have more competitions that are in the better part of that range you are talking about. Or even better picking up a few more placements. I think a lot will happen with the competitions this year. I think there will be a greater spread among the top five in the races than there has been in recent seasons, she believes.
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To upload, Anna Jönsson Haag has been in Austria and Bad Gastein, and the upload is valid this time for an entire season.
– The plan right now is to run everything apart from Jizerska50. We will be away with the family (husband Emil and the two children) throughout January. I want the children to think it’s fun to be part of the training and the competitions. Because as long as this is something the whole family appreciates, I’ll keep going. It’s so much fun to ski, says Anna Jönsson Haag.
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