Photo: Bildbyrån
He already has an Olympic gold in the hump – but by taking after Nils van der Poel, alpine star Walter Wallberg wants to collect even more.
– I don’t know anyone who has done something similar, he says to SVT Sport.
He was only 21 years old and completely unknown in Sweden when he won Olympic gold in the hump course in Beijing 2022. Walter Wallbergtoday 24 years old, not only won the country’s first ever Olympic medal in his discipline, he also established himself as a great and popular athlete here at home.
Contacted the success coach
Now the sights are already set on the Olympics in Milan in 2026. In order to win a gold there as well, Walter Wallberg has changed his training plan to maximize his capacity. After being forced to end last year’s season early due to an injury, he came forward Nils van der Poels former successful coach Johan Rojler to get help. Now he does more endurance training while not stressing his knee too much.
– I don’t know anyone who has done something similar, I definitely train more volume than others. But I feel that it gives me a lot and I want to continue with it. And that it’s a lot of fun and the way I motivate myself, he tells SVT Sport.
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Nils van der Poel’s training manifesto was published online after the skater ended his career. But his coach Johan Röjler is still a hot wild card. Several athletes contact him, for example Wallberg.
– It’s flattering that someone gets in touch who is so talented and thinks I can contribute something. Walter is very enthusiastic, so it has been a lot of fun working with him. And get this more low-intensity volume training into his everyday life and training program, says Röjler to SVT Sport.
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“Of course you take a risk”
Röjler continues by saying that he likes that Walter Wallberg thinks “outside the box” and that it’s fun to learn about new sports. And the alpine skier is also positive about the new arrangement, although he is aware that there may be a risk for him to start training on completely new things that he has not done before.
– Of course you take a risk. I went one way and won Olympic gold. Now I am taking a completely different path in the belief that I will take another one, he says and continues:
– I don’t know any humpback skier who has practiced swimming to get better at skiing. So it will be unique in its own way. But it is a good addition and works well for me.
Hope the new arrangement works for you, Walter. Good luck in the future. Exciting that you are testing Nils van der Poel’s previous successful scheme.
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