PHOTO: TT News Agency
Charlotte Kalla has made a comeback in the competition track.
She beamed as if she had won Olympic gold after her first leg in the Relay Vase.
– It was a long time ago that the body had to work in this way. It was lovely, says the former cross-country star.
On Friday morning set Charlotte Calle wearing a number tag for the first time since her last “real” competitive race in April 2022. She rode the 24-kilometer first leg of the Relay Vase for a sponsor-funded team.
Kalla admits that emotions bubbled up when she stood on the starting line in Berga village. She was one of thousands of other skiers.
– I had time to think of that three minutes before the start, that “God, how cool to be standing here in an exercise race”. That I gained so much perspective that I dare to put on the number plate and enjoy what I see behind me at the start.
Wanted to blend in
– Well, I may not have been one of the crowd, but I tried to blend in as much as possible. It was cool to look behind me before the start. There was a throng of riders.
The article continues below.
When the start went, the 36-year-old came up onto the moors and got the nature experience that thousands of other skiers have had over the years.
– These are powerful nature experiences. I can imagine that you enjoy it even more on a sunny day.
Competitive feeling
Pretty quickly she got into the competitive feeling. Almost like before. At Smågan, about ten minutes after the start, she was two minutes behind the tight pack, which consisted of many talented Vasalopp men.
The article continues after the picture.
She came to the switch in Mångsbodarna as the 19th rider, 5.26 behind the lead. The commentary after the race shows that she did not exercise:
– It was important to keep a steady pace and join the group that maintained an appropriate pace. It was a good group to keep up with. But it was a shame that I wasn’t there all the way into the switching zone. It would have been fun for Hans (Olsson, on the second leg) to have some company. Now he’s out in a very no man’s land.
Charlotte Kalla continues
– I felt halfway through that my back muscles are not really trained for staking. But now I will pep up the others in the team and give them energy.
The others in Kalla’s team were the ski profiles Hans Olsson, Walter Wallberg, Jesper Tjäder and Maria Pietilä Holmner.
READ MORE: Linn Svahn’s unexpected pass to rival Frida Karlsson – reveals her great weakness: “It’s lucky that…”
Sign up for our newsletter
Share