Linn Svahn will soon be back from her tough shoulder injury.
But with a requirement from the national team.
– It still feels safe, says the star.
Linn Svahn’s long journey back is soon over. She missed all of last season after a shoulder injury that was so much tougher than many could have predicted. She did participate in the last World Cup, but was hampered by the injury even then, and several operations have been required since then.
Near return
Linn Svahn hoped to be back for the season opener in Ruka, in just over a month, but that is not to be. Svahn is not quite ready yet, but hopes to perform something before Christmas, and then find form for the WC in February. But it is not a foregone conclusion that Svahn will get there. She was the big giant in sprints before the injury, but is not automatically selected for it.
Once she returns to competing, it comes with a demand from the national team. Namely that Svahn must prove herself at some national competition, before she is thrown into the hot air of the World Cup, and in the Swedish squad where the competition is fierce, especially in sprints. The Swedish national sprint team includes world stars such as Maja Dahlqvist and Jonna Sundling, and Svahn needs to prove that she can keep up in order to get a place.
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The requirement: “Feels safe”
However, Linn Svahn sees nothing negative about it. On the contrary, she believes that it is a requirement – and a plan – that she really stands behind.
– It still feels safe. I don’t want to just jump into the World Cup without having done any competition, that’s the way it is. It’s a reasonable plan, then we’ll see what race it will be. I will compete before I come out to the World Cup so that I can maintain that level. Then you usually get better when you’ve run through the system a few times as well, like that in a competitive way, she tells SVT.
Before Christmas, part of the WC squad will be withdrawn, and after the turn of the year the remaining skaters will be withdrawn. Whether Linn Svahn will have time to perform before Christmas is unclear, but she feels no pressure to be selected early.
– No, that is not the most important thing. The most important thing is that I get to the WC and perform there. Then a squad will be taken out later as well. It is understandable that some are taken out after two classic sprints that are important. But I want to go fast enough that I deserve a place no matter what time I get that place.
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