PHOTO: Bildbyrån
After her unexpected WC gold in 1987, Marie-Helene Östlund became nationally famous overnight.
Today, “Billan’s” existence looks very different.
– It’s rolling along, she tells Sportbibeln.
Marie-Helene Östlund was basically completely unknown when she went to Oberstdorf for the World Ski Championships in 1987. But when she returned home, she was anything but unknown. In the 20 kilometer freestyle, she won a very unexpected WC gold, and suddenly she was “Billan” Östlund with the entire Swedish people.
Life today
Billan was only 20 years old when she accomplished the incredible feat, for which she was awarded both the Bragdguldet and the Jerring Prize. Östlund also took bronze in the relay the same year, as well as World Cup silver in 1991 and another World Cup bronze in 1995. In the World Cup there were two victories and nine podium places.
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Today, Marie-Helene runs a conference facility with a restaurant, called Kungsholmen, on an island in Hälsingland together with her husband Erik Östlund. Billan doesn’t think too much back to his skiing career.
– I never look back on it in any way. I don’t know, I… sometimes I’m reminded like now when we have guests and stuff. Those who are a little older always come up and want to talk skiing, and then you are reminded. But otherwise I don’t look back that way myself, I don’t, but it is when you are reminded of our guests that we have. And it’s mostly these older people who remember, she tells Sportbibeln.
Still running
So you don’t miss your skiing career very much then?
– No, I can’t say that I do that right away. What I miss are these places that people have been to, I can miss that. When you were in Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and there are so many wonderful places. I have a fondness for the Alps.
Do you have a favorite memory from your skiing career?
– It’s like I say all the places you’ve been. Then of course it’s the medals in the first place, it’s the gold in 1987.
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There will still be some cross-country skiing today for Billan.
– I try to do it when I can. Sometimes it happens very rarely and sometimes it happens more often. There is not much continuity in the training if I do say so.
READ MORE: Gunde Svan names the best Swedish skier ever – and Thomas Wassberg comes second: “Afraid of it”
Busy for Östlunds
Right now, during the Christmas season, Kungsholmen is in full swing.
– Right now it’s Christmas dinner Wednesday to Sunday, this week Tuesday to Sunday, we’re in the final stages now. So that’s what my days look like at this time of year, you could say.
But soon there will be some time off, over Christmas and New Year, before everything starts again.
– Then I have a little technical camp on cross-country skiing in January, with us then at our place. Then it rolls on, it’s a bit of conferences and such, I take care of bookings and a bit of that when it comes to our guests, says Billan Östlund.
You enjoy Kungsholmen, are you driving?
– Yes, we’ve been running it since 1995. Guess how many years it will be, haha, it will be a number.
28 if I count correctly.
– Yes, that’s probably right. So sometimes you are tired of it, and sometimes it goes well. It’s a little different.
How do you feel now at Christmas time?
– Christmas time is when it is our high season, you could say, as it is now. So we are in the middle of it, and are running the last week now with the Christmas table.
READ MORE: The Swedish skiing hero surprised everyone and sensationally won WC gold – this is what “Billan” is doing today
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