PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Ebba Andersson is our new Swedish superstar in cross-country skiing.
Now the 25-year-old reveals how she defied her own parents.
– I was the one who came home one day and said that, she tells Ljusdals-Posten.
When the Norwegian ski queen Therese Johaug ended her career, she left a big void behind her and a vacant seat on the throne as the world’s best cross-country skier. The big question was not whether a Swedish sake would take that place, but by whom Frida Karlsson or Ebba Andersson it would be.
Ebba’s big hit
In the very first championship without Johaug, we got the answer during the Skiing WC 2023 in Planica. Because then Ebba stepped forward and showed the entire skiing world her great talent and that she is ready to take over the crown.
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The 25-year-old won double WC gold and double WC bronze and was crowned WC queen in Planica. The great success was extremely long-awaited for Andersson, who won his very first championship gold in his career.
READ MORE: Ebba Andersson’s absolutely wonderful answer to the skiing world after the WC success – and the words about Johaug: “I counter with…”
Defied the father
Thus, the Swede has collected a total of 3 WC gold, 1 WC silver, 4 WC bronze, 1 Olympic silver and 1 Olympic bronze over the years and she still has so many years left at the top of the world. But she doesn’t feel any pressure herself.
– No more than the one from myself. I know why I ski and compete and put so much time and effort into what I do. I think it’s the most fun, regardless of how it goes. It’s clear that it makes things easier when things go well, but basically I think it’s great fun to train and compete, she says in an interview with Ljusdals-Posten.
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But it could have been completely different if Ebba Andersson had not defied her own parents as a nine-year-old. Both father Per-Ola Andersson and mother Åsa Andersson has competed in cross-country skiing, but it was by no means a matter of course that the daughter would also start skiing.
– I’ll be honest and say that; the first times in cross-country it was perhaps not the same joy as it is now, she says with a laugh in the interview.
READ MORE: That’s how much the Swedish WC heroes earned – Frida Karlsson reveals what Ebba Andersson will buy: “A really fat one”
Andersson’s words
Instead, it was more slalom that interested Ebba during her childhood years. But one day everything changed when Andersson decided to change direction completely and go horizontally with his skis instead of downhill.
– They reasoned “if you want to go slalom then we will drive you there”. I was the one who came home one day, I was probably nine years old, and said “now I’m going to start going to ski training”, the 25-year-old tells the local newspaper.
A decision that the father Per-Ola was not immediately happy about. As a teacher at the skiing high school in Sollefteå, he knows exactly how much it takes to get far in cross-country skiing and what a great sacrifice it is.
– He knows what it takes to keep skiing. It’s not just every time. Now his children would also start. I think he felt a little “do you have to?”, admits Ebba Andersson.
Right before the WC 2023, father Andersson had a key role in helping and building up the Swedish ski star and in top form for the championship. Ebba Andersson joined the national team squad in Planica a few days later and chose rather to stay at home in Sollefteå and train individually with her father – it was really worth it.
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