Stina Nilsson was unstoppable in her best moments.
Once Gunde Svan was asked a question about her – and then came up with the most powerful comparison to himself.
– There is something in it with Stina’s success, said Gunde.
Stina Nilsson’s move from cross-country skiing to biathlon was not as successful as many had hoped. After a few years at the absolute top, Nilsson had difficulty even getting a place in the A national team, and she had to focus on competitions in the IBU Cup instead, and even there with varying success.
Stina Nilsson’s career
Now it is long-distance running for Stina Nilsson, and regardless of how she goes there, she will go down in history as a Swedish icon in cross-country skiing. When she was at her very best in sprints, she was sometimes unstoppable, and over the years in cross-country skiing, she won both Olympic gold and two World Cup golds, as well as nine additional World Cup and Olympic medals.
Stina Nilsson has always had the ability to be the best when it matters, and her winning mindset and mental strengths have made her so incredibly successful. And there are actually great similarities between Stina Nilsson at her best and a certain Gunde Svan. At least according to Svan himself. Gunde is one of Sweden’s greatest winter athletes of all time, known for his great accuracy and ability to always be focused and mentally prepared.
Gunde’s unexpected words
And Nilsson also has those qualities, Gunde Svan said in an interview with Expressen a few years ago, when he himself highlighted it as one of Stina’s main qualities.
– I think there is something in Stina’s success, precisely that she can screen, Svan told.
And precisely that is a great analogy with himself when he himself was active. When asked directly if he thinks there are similes, he answered:
– Yes I do. In that way of being able to focus, and precisely those situations… she’s not so talkative when it’s time for competition, and when she doesn’t want to be disturbed. Then she simply walks away, Svan told, and continued:
– I wasn’t always so nice when it was time to start. You hardly remember who you met.
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