In Planica during the WC, Emma Ribom won a silver in the classic sprint. Ahead of the upcoming season, she has been hampered by repeated illnesses.
– I had a very nice summer. In May, June, July I got very good training and very good development in what I did. Then I’ve been a bit crass during the autumn and August, September hasn’t worked as I wanted, she says.
– But I’ve had to be healthy for a few weeks now and hope that it will work well in the last period before the season.
How gross were you?
– A few colds that come unwanted. It’s tough to be sick as an elite athlete, especially when you start accumulating many days in a row. But I think we have balanced the process back in a good way and I hope for good weeks now.
She goes on to say that she sometimes gets frustrated.
– Of course you will, it’s never fun to be sick. You cannot go to work as an elite athlete if you are sick. It’s a bit frustrating.
How much do you think you’ve lost in pre-season charging?
– It is clear that time flies when you are ill and time for development disappears. It’s clear it’s one or two steps back. But now it’s just a matter of looking ahead and, as I said, I have a few weeks of good progression behind me.
– I have said that I will not count the days. But it was a little too many days for me to think it feels nice.
The season ahead is a championship-free one, something that makes it special.
– During the championship years that have been, I have put many cards in a pile and worked hard to be the best on a specific day. This season is a little different and is about maintaining a high level throughout. It will be a different kind of challenge.