DN met Ebba Andersson in August, before the season, and some things the cross-country star said didn’t make it into the long report back then, but were updated in the final Olympic weeks.
“I have the image in my mind that things should just happen by themselves, a bit like at the World Cup. That I can progress without it being particularly demanding and that I can do it faster than everyone else.”
The picture Ebba Andersson was painted on has not really been fulfilled. The goal of getting an individual medal was achieved, there were even two, but silver behind a superior Frida Karlsson.
Then came the season. She fell for the first time when she was caught at the top. She said after the race that the ride, where she was forced to chase, had become a bit stressful. And then came the front vault, where a ski broke like a letter in the mail. In retrospect, what Andersson said in August almost seems like foreshadowing:
“What happens leading up to the race can set the tone and stay in your mind. But with more experience you also learn that nothing is over until you cross the finish line, so I’m trying to strategize on how can I change that?”
Andersson was praised after the race because she was still cold in the situation – as she quickly realized that she had to progress further on the course in order to get a new ski.
“It’s enough that you have all the stupid thoughts in your head, so of course it’s incredibly grateful to receive this appreciation,” she said when she met Swedish journalists two days before the five-mile run.
She longs for revenge, partly because of the fall in last year’s WC five-mile race, in which she missed out on a medal. Above all, she was able to master the descents better than in the relay. She says she was both a coward and poor technique.
– When something like that happens, it gets a little overwhelming. I really had to take a job on the track, both physically and a little mentally.
DN asked in August: How important is your experience when you’re on the starting line?
“Experience can add peace of mind and security, but when it comes down to it, previous races have nothing to do with what is happening here and now; a new race brings new conditions and new opportunities. But you can learn lessons from previous races.”
What she specifically did here in Italy to overcome the mental low point that the Vurpan caused in the relay was to first find joy again. She felt like the big scapegoat but thanked her teammates for all their support. She was even able to laugh at the misery when she saw the situation on video.
– But when we were at the competition venue, it was important to give the downhills a little more priority.
Before the season Ebba Andersson explained how important it was for her to be successful in the first race of the World Championships last year.
“It’s not self-confidence that drives you physically, but rather it controls how you behave. In the 10-kilometer race during the World Championships in Trondheim, I ran with low shoulders because I already had my gold. I didn’t feel any stress during my actions and therefore ran quite well and quite quickly.”
Before the five-mile run she says:
– I felt the riding and execution was good, but maybe not quite as good as I had hoped. I feel inspired to try and achieve something better out there on the track. Hopefully the training I did this week will lead to some good skiing.
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