Linn Svahn misses the season opener.
Now she receives a sharp warning from Anders Blomquist.
– She needs to have developed during this period, he says.
It has almost been two years since Linn Svahn crashed during a competition at home in Ulricehamn. Many – Linn Svahn included – did not then understand how extensive the shoulder injury really was, and it has required several operations and a long rehabilitation to be reasonably ready to compete in the World Cup again. Linn Svahn missed the whole of last season – including the Olympics – but now sees the light at the end of the tunnel.
“Was very wrong”
Svahn had hoped to be in the premiere of the World Cup, which is a month away, but it was not to be. Linn Svahn says she doesn’t “want to get old”, and the big return to cross-country skiing is thus delayed. Whether Linn Svahn will be in shape for the WC in February or not is still unclear, but that is the big goal from both her and the national skiing team.
Anders Blomquist suffers with Svahn, and curses at the same time that so much went wrong during the beginning of her injury period. It was many months before Svahn had surgery, and she even participated in the WC shortly after the injury occurred.
– After all, there was a lot wrong at the beginning of this injury rehabilitation, which was not due to her, but to poor communication between the doctors, so maybe they made a little mistake from the beginning. But once she got a handle on it, she, together with her coach and her physiotherapist, worked very wisely and long-term, even though she is young and wants to return quickly, says the SVT expert to SVT.
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The expert’s warning
Anders Blomquist believes that it is uncertain in what form Linn Svahn will actually come back in. Being away from competing for such a long time affects the form, of course. But Blomquist is optimistic, thanks in large part to Linn Svahn’s winning skull.
– What I know is what I’ve talked to her and the coach about, that she thinks it’s going well, but it hasn’t been seen in a competition context yet. The shoulder has to work, and she has to be able to do exercises with the right load, and the feet have to be able to compete, so that’s an unwritten card. Now I think that she, precisely because it is Linn Svahn, will solve it well, he says.
But at the same time, Blomquist issues a warning to Svahn. Before the injury, she was the great giant of the sprinting world, but during the injury absence, her rivals have become stronger and faster. The same is required for Svahn if she is to be able to assert herself at the WC, says “Blomman”.
– Development has probably progressed, so she probably needs to get up a bit more. It is not certain that it will be enough to ride as well as before the injuries, but she probably needs to have developed a little during this period, he says.
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