Photo: Bildbyrån, Maja Suslin/TT
16 years after she won her first SM gold with Umeå IK, the midfielder finished Lisa Dahlqvist37 his long elite career as a soccer player. She had then just gone out in the women’s league with the same club. The year was 2022.
A then 35-year-old Dahlqvist felt that she needed to find a new path in life.
– It was probably in the big picture that I haven’t had as much fun this year. I haven’t gotten energy from going down to the workouts and feeling that it’s been fun. Playing soccer has always been fun for me. I’ve always gotten energy from coming down to practices and such. That’s basically it, she told Sportbladet.
Lisa Dahlqvist excelled during the 2016 Olympics
For most Swedes, perhaps Lisa Dahlqvist became especially famous during the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, when she took part in knocking out both the USA and Brazil on penalties in the quarter- and semi-finals, respectively. She scored the decisive penalty kicks in both games. Despite the fact that it was “only” a silver in the Olympics, Lisa and the others were hailed as winners. But less than a year later, she was poked by the new national team captain Peter Gerhardsson. Her national team career came to a sad end.
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– It was difficult for almost six months. Partly because you were in an identity crisis like who am I? I identified myself as a national team player and a bit like that is enough? Are you really good at football now that you are no longer in the national team? Now you have become bad. There are a lot of thoughts like that you have to work with. Then you don’t want to be bitter, you don’t want to be angry, said Dahlqvist to the evening newspaper.
Lisa Dahlqvist works as a police officer
These days, Lisa Dahlqvist lives there, whose father is the former Allsvenskan player Sven “Dala” Dahlkvistin Sävar outside Umeå. She is actually from Örebro and has played in several of the city’s clubs, but she spent many fine years in Västerbotten. She lives with her wife Jessica Danielsson and their children.
Dahlqvist works as a police officer, but has also featured as a football expert in SVT after his own career. She also has her sights set on something completely different. Not a new career choice, but a tough physical challenge that suits a former elite athlete. Soon she will ride the Vasaloppet for the first time – in Dalarna, where father Sven is from.
– I have taken up the challenge of performing A Swedish Classic. The first stage is precisely the Vasaloppet. The fact that it is in Dalarna is perfect because I get the opportunity to visit my uncle and his family, she tells Vasaloppet’s own website.
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Dahlqvist will be in Superstars
It doesn’t seem like Dahlqvist is any advanced skier yet. Rather the opposite. When asked to point out the most difficult challenge of “standing at the penalty spot at the Maracana, participating in Superstars or skiing to Mora”, her answer is obvious.
– Skiing to Mora, of course. I have no experience of skiing. So this will be a big challenge and at the time of writing (just before Christmas) I only have 8 km in my body. My goal is to get 20-30 miles of training in before the Vasaloppet starts, she says.
Speaking of Superstars. Lisa Dahlqvist is in the new season which will be broadcast on Kanal5 and in Max during 2025. Mikael Lustig, Maria Akraka and Joel Lundqvist. She was also helped with her skiing technique by another participant.
– I have received tips from myself Mona Brorsson; a lot of technical tips that I hope to be able to manage in the best way, says Dahlqvist.
Good luck with your skiing in the Vasaloppet, Lisa! It will be exciting to see and hear more about how you and your Classic are doing. Also good luck with your work as a police officer.
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