PHOTO: Bildbyrån
It has not been a fun season at all for Stina Nilsson.
In neighboring Norway, people are both surprised and worried.
– This was not what was thought, says Tarjei Bö to Nettavisen.
Four years ago did Stina Nilsson great success at the WC in Seefeld 2019. The Swede then won double WC gold in the relay and team sprint as well as WC silver in the individual sprint.
Stina’s season
The past three seasons have instead been biathlon and no cross-country skiing for the 29-year-old. But the transition between the sports has been very tough and protracted for the Swede, who has had to struggle a lot with her new sport.
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At the same time that the world’s best cross-country skiers and biathletes are preparing to settle for WC medals in Planica and Oberhof, Nilsson has been in Obertilliach and competed in the IBU Cup. Where this weekend there was a 30th and a 21st place this weekend which was.
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Norwegian concerns
Stina Nilsson’s third season as a biathlete has been nightmarish and she hasn’t gotten the results at all. Which has now caused great and serious concern in neighboring Norway.
– That’s how biathlon is. It is difficult and it takes a lot to make it work. She has had a few tough years after she switched to biathlon, says the Norwegian star skater Marte Olsbu Röiseland to the newspaper Nettavisen.
– I think she has some question marks for herself as well, adds the compatriot Tarjei Bö in with.
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The Norwegian biathlon stars are most surprised that Stina has had to struggle more with skiing than shooting this season. Which is strange since as a cross-country skier she was one of the fastest in the world.
– Now she shoots almost better than she skis. It was probably not exactly where you thought the shoe would pinch. I thought she would just come in and go fast and possibly shoot well every now and then to assert herself, says a surprised Bö to the Norwegian newspaper and offers her own kind of explanation.
– There has probably been a lot of shooting training and so she may have lost the continuity from the physical training that she knows works for her. It’s a balance you have to find there.
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Instead of the Biathlon World Cup, Stina Nilsson had to represent Sweden in the Biathlon European Championship, where she won a bronze medal in the team relay. However, Norwegian competitor Olsbu Röiseland is not worried about the Swede’s future in biathlon and believes she can still achieve success.
– She is still young (29 years old) and has many years left, so I hope she uses this as motivation and becomes stronger from it, says the Norwegian in the interview.
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