Photo: Bildbyrån
Tove Alexandersson is the best in the world at orienteering. Stina Nilsson has won Olympic gold in long-distance running, competed in biathlon and has now switched back to long-distance running.
But they both could have started with a completely different sport.
– There are probably other things I’d rather do, says Tove Alexandersson to Sportbibeln about the unexpected offer.
Few Swedish athletes have better track records than the orienteer Tove Alexandersson32. Not only is she the best in the world in her sport, and has been for many years, she has also picked up World Cup medals in four more sports. She is clearly the definition of the word versatile.
Tove Alexandersson competes in several sports
After her World Cup gold in sky running in 2018, running at high altitude in the mountains, she simultaneously became the reigning world champion in three different sports at the same time. Then she was also the best in the world at orienteering and ski orienteering. Alexandersson also has WC bronze in ski alpinism (skimo) and WC silver in trail running. Competing in so many different sports in parallel is of course hard and tough. But Tove is always open to trying new sports to see if she finds something new that suits her.
– I think it’s a lot of fun with tough fitness sports. In general, I am absolutely open to testing and competing in something more. Then maybe I won’t make a huge investment in it, but just competing, testing and having it as an additional form of training I thought was great fun. I’m open to testing that, she tells Sportbibeln.
READ MORE: Tove Alexandersson’s new message about her Olympic bid
Another Swedish elite athlete who has made himself known for trying different sports is Stina Nilsson31. The cross-country skier has five Olympic medals and seven World Cup medals on her resume, but she surprisingly switched to biathlon four years ago. Things haven’t gone as well for her since then. Last spring, she announced that she will focus on long-distance running this season instead. But the fact is that it could have been another sport instead. She received an unexpected offer earlier this year.
– I received a call from the walking association, last spring. No, but it’s so crazy! I don’t even know what it was from, really, but someone called from the beginning, and asked if I wanted to bet on it, she said in the podcast “Lagom Kondition” last summer.
The association’s offer to Stina and Tove
She immediately refused the offer. She didn’t want to be the face of time in Sweden, together with Perseus Karlstrom on the men’s side.
– There will be no investment going on. I wasn’t really that attracted. Somewhere it feels like cross-country skiing, biathlon and long-distance running, it’s branched out. But time right now I can’t see in front of me. But you should never say never!, she said.
READ MORE: Elvira Öberg liked that Stina Nilsson changed sports
When Sportbibeln mentions this to Tove Alexandersson and asks her if she has received any offers to try another sport, she laughs.
– Yes, also from the walking association. Haha. But I declined. I didn’t feel that time was right… then there are probably other things I’d rather be doing, she says and continues:
– It was before the Olympics this summer, so it was maybe 1.5 years ago or something. They wanted a lady to get a team to the Olympics, so that’s probably what they tried with Stina as well. But I feel I’d rather be doing orienteering or trail running.
Haha, this was actually quite funny. Imagine if Stina Nilsson or Tove Alexandersson would suddenly start investing in time instead. It would have been shocking to say the least.
Share