“Näslund struck again – won the premiere”.
“Historic Näslund took the 30th victory”.
“Superior Näslund won again”.
“New success for Näslund – took 14th straight victory”.
The headlines about Sandra Näslund’s start to the ski cross season have looked pretty much the same.
In five World Cup competitions there have been five victories and last year the 26-year-old won all but one, eleven out of twelve, competitions in the World Cup. And then the Swede won the Olympic gold in Beijing.
It has not been possible to upset Näslund in the past year and when the Swede won in Val Thorens on December 9, it meant that she had won more World Cup victories in ski cross than anyone else.
More than Fanny Smith who held the record (29 victories) previously.
Since then, the Swiss has seen Näslund win three more World Cup events this season and the Swede is up to a total of 33 World Cup victories.
— She is a fantastic athlete and I think the Swedish team has done a very good job in the last two years. They’ve made good decisions and they’ve really worked hard to be where they are now, says 30-year-old Smith.
“Pushing the rest of us”
TT: How come she was so dominant?
– Good question. Sandra is very smooth and she is a good skier. She makes fewer and fewer mistakes.
TT: Are you getting tired of hearing the Swedish national anthem?
— No, I’m happy, because it’s short compared to the Swiss one. Haha, no, I’m kidding. It pushes the rest of us to continue, to improve and, for my own part, to think about myself. First of all to get back to my rhythm and to my peak.
TT: And recently Näslund passed you in number of World Cup victories.
— To be honest, I’m not a record person. I actually didn’t realize it myself the time I took over the record, my coach came up to me and said it the day before. Records are meant to be broken and with Sandra it’s always a good fight. I am happy for her and for what she has achieved.
TT: You’re going to take back the record?
— We’ll see, we’ll try, I’ll do my best. I focus on finding my way back to my best self. I don’t think so much about the results, but about the path to reach the results.
Fanny Smith. Stock photo. Lots of changes
TT: What does it take for you to beat Näslund this year?
— Sandra has a lot of self-confidence now and she rides that wave. I think the confidence is even more visible in our sport because we compete directly next to each other, it’s not like, for example, in alpine where you ride one at a time.
— It’s about finding the perfect combination with my new material, having the right mentality, finding self-confidence – that’s a big part of our sport.
The last time Smith won a World Cup event was March 13, 2021 in Sunny Valley, Russia.
This summer, the Swiss has made a lot of changes to reach the top again.
— I have changed materials (skis) after 13 years, I have also changed one of my physical trainers and there are two new leaders. Lots of changes and it must take time. It’s a process and that’s why I was very happy to be back on the podium in Innichen (in Italy last time).
TT: What is the goal of all these changes?
— I think the biggest goal is to stabilize all the changes I’ve made, we still have work to do, but we’re on the right track.
The last World Cup competition for this year is over, for Smith it ended with a second place and a third place in the two competitions in Italy – where Näslund won both.
In the next competition, January 20–22, Smith hopes to be at the top of the podium, in “Näslundland” – the competition is decided in Idre Fjäll.