Planica World Cup skiing on channels 22.2.–5.3.2023. See the program and broadcast information of the World Ski Championships at this link.
Saturday was supposed to be a potential day when Kerttu Niskanen achieves the first individual World Cup medal of his career at the age of 34. It was different when Niskanen crossed the finish line in fifth place.
Instead, in the women’s combined competition, at least two dreams came true. Swedish Ebba Andersson won his first individual world championship, but the Norwegian can be considered an even more exciting achievement Astrid Öyre Slindin bronze.
At the age of 25, Andersson is already a seven-time medalist, but the same cannot be said about Slind. He turned 35 years old two weeks ago.
Saturday’s combined competition was for Slind not only the perfect match of a long career, but also his first start in an adult competition.
– None of us could have expected this. His main distance should only be 30 kilometers, Slind’s manager Joachim Aurland told Urheilu by phone from Planica.
Astrid Öyre Slind’s name is known to skiing enthusiasts, as she has skied the long-distance Ski Classic series for most of her career in the Team Aker Dählie stable run by Aurland. Slind is one of the most successful women in the series and among the team’s athletes, she is the third highest in the Ski Classic ranking.
Before 2023, the general public hardly associated Slind’s name with Astrid, but with her twin sister To Silje Öyre Slindi or throw it at a sister who is four years younger Kari Öyre to Slind.
Silje has competed in the World Cup in 72 starts, of which he has been on the podium in one. This happened in the Pyeongchang Pre-Olympic sprint in 2017.
Kari has the second most World Cup competitions among the sisters, 66. Astrid Öyre Slind has only 33 World Cup competitions under her belt.
Nine years elsewhere
Before this season, Astrid Öyre Slind competed in the sport’s toughest cup competition last time on March 9, 2014.
At that time, Slind finished 45th in the 30 kilometers of Holmenkollen in a race won by a Norwegian sports legend Marit Björgen before Therese Johaugia and Kerttu from Niska.
Niskanen is the only one of Kollen’s top three to continue his active career, but Slind has returned to the hardest category competitions after a break of almost nine years – and better than ever.
Manager Aurland cites two main factors in Slindi’s level-up: not giving up and having become Slindi’s coach two years ago by Chris Jespersen. Jespersen is remembered, among other things, for second place at the 2014 Tour de Ski.
– When it comes to training motivation, Astrid is an animal. Chris has brought new elements to her training, the fruits of which Astrid is now reaping. The idea of a possible return to the World Cup started in the summer, says Aurland.
According to Aurland, Slind got sick with corona in November. That’s why the skier didn’t return to the World Cup until the beginning of December in Lillehammer. He skied places 17 and 21 in the national group, which a decade ago would not have been close to a place at the turn of the year Tour de Ski. Enough now.
Seventh place in the Tour’s overall competition sealed Slind’s place at the World Cup. The continuation came at the end of January, when Slind finished third behind Andersson and Niskanen in the joint start of the 20 km traditional skiing style of the World Cup in France.
– After the race in France, we started to think that a medal is possible at Planica’s 30 kilometers. We couldn’t wait for this medal. I thought that sixth place could be the maximum, says Aurland.
For all normal trips?
The level of Norwegian women is currently such that a bronze medal practically guarantees Slind the freedom to choose the program she likes for the last week of the World Championships in Planica.
The next normal race, i.e. the 10-kilometer free timed start, is on Tuesday, the relay on Thursday, and the 30-kilometer traditional joint start on Saturday.
It may sound like a lot, but in the case of Slind, it’s just a warm-up. Although the medal account is open, Slindi’s bread and butter as a Ski Classic skier awaits in the Swedish municipality of Sälen, located 1,750 kilometers from Planica.
Sälen organizes the world’s largest mass skiing event, the 90-kilometer long Vasaloppet, which starts on Sunday, March 5. local time at 9 o’clock.
This means that after the 30 km task of the World Cup, Slind has less than 20 hours to travel from Slovenia to Central Sweden and at the same time recover from the World Cup trip.
Aurland says that he made special arrangements to ease Slind’s workload.
– We have wonderful sponsors that allow us to fly Astrid directly to Sälen on a private plane.
According to Aurland, a private plane is waiting for Slind in Klagenfurt, Austria, where Slind will be taken immediately after the end of the 30 km race. The car journey from Planica to Klagenfurt takes about an hour.
– If Astrid is on the medals, we will drive a little faster, Aurland says and laughs.
– However, it’s clear that he’ll stop at 9 o’clock on Sunday. It’s going to be a tough week for him, but he’s a tough guy.
When Urheilu caught up with Aurland after the prize distribution of the combined competition organized on Saturday evening, the Manager’s protégé had already withdrawn to focus on future competitions.
– I, on the other hand, am going to celebrate to the fullest today. This was such an amazing day.
– This was a lesson for all older athletes. You shouldn’t give up on your dreams.