After the 30km mass start race in classic technique on Saturday, Øyre Slind plans to take a private airplane from Planica to Mora in Sweden, where the 90-kilometer-long Vasaloppet awaits less than 24 hours from the event in Slovenia.

“I don’t quite know how she is going to get it done logistically, but it sounds very tiring,” says national team coach Sjur Ove Svarstad about Astrid Øyre Slind’s plan for the Vasaloppet just a few hours after finishing in Planica.

This Is The Plan

The 30km race in Planica starts at noon on Saturday. If things go well for Øyre Slind, Team Aker Dæhlie, and she gets her third medal in the World Championships, there will be a medal ceremony in Kranjska Gora at 20:23 CET on Saturday. Then a private airplane is waiting to transport Øyre Slind over a distance of 1.750 kilometers. At 8:00 CET on Sunday morning is the start of Vasaloppet.

“The plane lands in Sweden at night so it will be a short night. It’s worth it. Tour de Ski will be nothing compared to this,” says Astrid Øyre Slind, but admits that it will not be the best recovery:

“Now the others (Pro Tour athletes) are optimally prepared in Sälen, while I go skiing after skiing here. So, the chance is probably a little less than usual.”

Beyond All Expectations

Astrid Øyre Slind shocked everyone when she became the best Norwegian, finishing behind Ebba Andersson and Frida Karlsson during Saturday’s skiathlon. The athlete showed great form and went on to win a bronze medal.

During Thursday’s relay, Øyre Slind was the second skier for the Norwegian team. Impressively, the Norwegian women took home the gold medal.

In other words, it has already been a successful World Championships for Øyre Slind – better than she could have dreamed of.

When did you decide to focus on the World Championships this season?
“I started to believe that I was in really good shape since the victory in Vasaloppet last year. I also had some very good sessions this autumn. Then I started playing with the idea of ​​the World Championships.”

Even with Covid during the season opener at Beitostølen in November, Øyre Slind already showed form on the first race after that and won the Norwegian Cup at Gålå the following weekend.

Because of that result, she was named to the World Cups at Lillehammer and Beitostølen before Christmas. At the same time, she combined it with Ski Classics. Nevertheless, she was beaten by Ida Dahl in all races before Christmas.

After a long Christmas holiday, Øyre Slind showed that form was on the way. First with solid performances in the Tour de Ski and then with his first win in Ski Classics this season (Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge). The following weekend she also won Engadin La Diagonela.

Back in the World Cup in Les Rousses in February also came the first podium in the World Cup. The result guaranteed the World Championships spot on the Norwegian team. 

The Rivals Are Impressed

The combination of World Championships and Ski Classics (Vasaloppet) is familiar. Around the New Year, Øyre Slind admitted that the main goal was to win the 30km World Championships race and Vasaloppet the following day. That plan impresses several of her rivals.

“I think Astrid is a really tough woman. She impresses me a lot, and it won’t surprise me if she starts at Vasaloppet and does very well. You have to watch and learn from her,” says Magni Smedås, Team Eksjöhus, during Wednesday’s pre-Vasaloppet interviews. 

Watch Here – Vasaloppet: Pre-Event Interviews Live On SC YouTube 

Vasaloppet Pre-Event Interviews – Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XIV – Event 11

And Smedås is not the only one who thinks that perhaps only Øyre Slind can manage such a feat.

“This thing with the World Championships and Vasaloppet has been Astrid’s plan for a long time. Now that she has done so well in the World Championships, I think she is quite well and has a lot of adrenaline in her body, which she will take to Vasaloppet. She is an experienced long-distance skier, and with the form she is showing now, she will clearly be one of the favorites on Sunday, even though she skied 30km the day before. She is so strong and well trained,” says Emilie Fleten, Team Ramudden, and adds:

“The girls have been involved in breaking boundaries. I think Astrid will show now that this will be possible.” 

Perhaps the biggest favorite to win Vasaloppet, Ida Dahl, Team Engcon, also believes there will be no reason why Øyre Slind should not reach the goal.

“It is absolutely possible to do well in Vasaloppet. She has shown incredibly good form in the World Championships. With a smooth trip by private plane, it will certainly go well.” 

Just time will tell if Astrid Øyre Slind will be the first woman in Mora next Sunday!

The Season XIV of Ski Classics Pro Tour consists of 14 events on 10 event weekends in 6 different countries. 

Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XIV (2022/2023)

•  Event 1: December 10, 2022 – Bad Gastein PTT, Bad Gastein, Austria, 15km
• Event 2: December 11, 2022 – Bad Gastein Criterium, Bad Gastein, Austria, 35km
• Event 3: December 17, 2022 – La Venosta Criterium, Val Venosta, Italy, 36km 
• Event 4: January 14, 2023 – Pustertaler Ski Marathon, Sexten, Italy, 62km
• Event 5: January 15, 2023 – Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge, Niederdorf, Italy, 32km
• Event 6: January 21, 2023 – Engadin La Diagonela, Engadin Valley, Switzerland, 48km 
• Event 7: January 29, 2023 – Marcialonga, Trentino, Italy, 70km
• Event 8: February 12, 2023 – Jizerská50, Bedrichov, Czech Republic, 50km
• Event 9: February 18, 2023 – Grönklitt Criterium, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 50km
• Event 10: February 19, 2023 – Grönklitt ITT, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 12km
• Event 11: March 5, 2023 – Vasaloppet, Sälen-Mora, Sweden, 90km
• Event 12: March 18, 2023 – Birkebeinerrennet, Rena-Lillehammer, Norway, 54km
• Event 13: April 1, 2023 – Reistadløpet, Setermoen-Bardufoss, Norway, 40km
• Event 14: April 2, 2023 – Summit 2 Senja, Bardufoss-Finnsnes, Norway, 67km

More information about the Ski Classics Pro Tour you can find at skiclassics.com.