PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Stina Nilsson has not had it easy since the transition to biathlon.
Now Wolfgang Pichler also comes with a harsh judgment about her.
– I am surprised that she is not better, he says to SVT.
It has almost been four years Stina Nilsson shocked the entire skiing world and announced that she is leaving cross-country skiing for a whole new sport. She would rather switch to biathlon instead.
Nilsson poked
Four years later, we can state that the transition has been tough for the Swede, who has had to struggle a great deal. Nilsson started the season as a World Cup rider, but after two fiasco results, she is back at the IBU Cup, the level below.
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Stina has had to endure harsh criticism during this season and many are surprised that she has not developed more as a biathlete. Now comes the next critic in the form of the coach icon Wolfgang Pichlerwho led several Swedish biathletes to great success.
Pichler’s judgment
Pichler thinks that Nilsson’s shooting is pretty good, but he is directly worried about her skiing.
– I am surprised that her skiing is not better. She was a world-class skater, who beat Johaug in the 5 km freestyle relay, he says in an interview with SVT.
– On the men’s side, they could have brought a skater like Stina, but on the women’s side, where we have six strong skaters, it would be stupid to have her here (during the World Cup weekend in Ruhpolding).
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Stina Nilsson has impressed in recent weeks with three podium places in the IBU Cup, but due to the fierce competition on the women’s side in the biathlon national team, she will have difficulty reaching the WC. But Pichler rules out her chances for a WC ticket.
– It is actually something positive. But the fact is that Sweden doesn’t need her. If I had been the national team captain, I would not have selected her for a relay team or as a reserve. So the question is why should they take her out?, he tells the TV channel.
– It’s Stina Nilsson, I like her and want to support her, but she’s not good enough, it’s that simple.
READ MORE: “Billan” Östlund says exactly what she thinks of Stina Nilsson – that’s why the biathlete has had a tough time: “Didn’t make it easy”
Wolfgang Pichler is still keeping his fingers crossed that Nilsson continues to develop as a biathlete, despite his harsh judgment about her.
– I don’t know her that well. She has never trained with me. But I feel that she is such a person, who with the right feeling can strike. She has been on the podium in the World Cup. So she has capacity, but she has to show it, he says in the interview.
What do you think of Stina Nilsson as a biathlete? Share the article and have your say!
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