Frida Karlsson collapsed after finishing.
Now she’s really being seen in Norway.
“It’s special,” writes TV2 reporter Per Angell.
Ebba Andersson drove Sweden’s second leg during Thursday’s WC relay. But an unlucky fall caused the pole to break, and Ebba Andersson, who won gold in the weekend’s skiathlon, lost valuable time. When she handed over to Frida Karlsson, the distance to the leading nation was nine seconds.
Collapsed again
However, Frida Karlsson had decided to catch up, and she did. But it cost. Karlsson lost a lot during the second half of her stretch, and by the time she crossed the finish line, the distance to leading Norway had increased considerably. It ended up being third place for Sweden, but Frida Karlsson had no room to hug Maja Dahlqvist when she crossed the finish line.
Karlsson collapsed immediately after the finish, and she had to be led away by Swedish leaders from the area. Karlsson was then present during the ceremony afterwards, and also did interviews with the media. But it is not the first time that Frida Karlsson has collapsed. She scared many when she was left lying down after the finish in the Tour de Ski, and during the Olympics last year similar scenes unfolded on several occasions.
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Giant sawing in Norway
Her recent collapse has already led to strong reactions in Norway. Per Angell, reporter on the Norwegian television channel TV2, is now seeing the Swedish seriously.
“Frida Karlsson is a brilliant skier. I like her. But to be a bit of a devil’s advocate. Isn’t she a bit of a drama queen too? Collapses and is carried out of the area every other race. Appears to be a bit special,” he writes.
However, Frida Karlsson’s personal trainer Per Nilsson was not worried about the pictures of Frida – and explained why it turned out the way it did.
– She went on a small hunt, got to the front and tried to blow up the field. Today it didn’t go all the way, so I don’t know if it was the skis, the body or both. I haven’t spoken to her, he says.
READ MORE: Norwegian giant rage against Sweden after the World Cup relay – raging against the images that TV missed: “It’s boiling in me”