Pain Will Not Stop Kardin For Årefjällsloppet

Long Distance

Pain Will Not Stop Kardin For Årefjällsloppet

By Leandro Lutz • 24.03.2022

Photo: Magnus Östh/Visma Ski Classics

Last year, Oskar Kardin, Team Ragde Charge, was in a solo breakaway at the 100km Årefjällsloppet and looked like a clear winner. However, conditions dent Kardin’s chances, and he was overtaken by the group and finished in ninth place.

On Saturday, it’s time again for the tough race in Vålådalen, Sweden. Will it be revenge for Kardin, who returned after his shoulder injury when he was hit by a car earlier this winter?

As written before, Oskar Kardin is an unlucky skier. Two years ago, he fell on skis, had a concussion, and missed Vasaloppet. Bad luck came again at the end of January, days before Marcialonga. He was hit by a car when he passed a road and injured his shoulder.

The season had started well, and he was second a few centimeters behind Max Novak at the Pustertaler Ski Marathon.

After the accident, he returned to Vasaloppet, where he became 23rd place. It went even better at Birkebeinerrennet last Saturday, where the Team Ragde Charge skier was in the final sprint and finished seventh, just a few seconds behind the winning teammate Andreas Nygaard.

How is the recovery after the accident?

“It’s going better and better. And with some races now, the form is also getting better.”

How much pain have you fought against when you ski?

“That’s a lot. I felt it every poling when going hard, but I do not think it inhibits me so much now. It was worse a few weeks ago. From the fact that it hurt at every poling and that I could not ski with full force to the fact that I now only feel some pain but can still go hard,” the 30-year-old explains.

There is no risk of skiing this hard, then?

“I do not know… of course, it can be risky, I think. No one knows one hundred percent, and there is certainly a risk. It’s not healthy with elite sports. But it is a risk, and I am prepared to take it, but I do not think it will get worse. In that case, I would not have skied.”

After the accident in January, something that worried Oskar, given his previous concussion, was that he also hit his head.

How’s your head?

“I thought that would be the biggest problem after I crashed because I do not remember the accident. I got hit on the head. But it has gone very well, thank goodness. I felt it a bit the first week, but since then it is very well.”

Considering what he achieved at Birken, Kardin seems to be back in good form even if he must fight with the shoulder’s pain. On Saturday, Visma Ski Classic’s most brutal and longest race awaits.

What have you learned from the Årefjällsloppet last year?

“Maybe I need to be stronger,” says Kardin and laughs.

“There were special conditions then, and it was difficult to be first on the track. When I caught the leading women, it was not the best glide if you were first in the track. The others caught me quickly. I was not so tired, and the problem was that it was so difficult to be first on the track the last 10km,” Kardin continues.

What were your thoughts on being alone in the lead for so long?

“It is a bit special, and it is not easy to know if you are going fast enough. But last year, I thought I was keeping a pace that I would be able to reach the finish line. Then, of course, it was tough when I passed Ottsjön with 15 kilometers left, and I had a lead of four minutes and then two kilometers later it was three minutes, one kilometer later it was two minutes. Then I started to think… I did not feel tired, but obviously, it was faster behind.”

“Then Joar Thele caught me. Then I thought he seemed strong and was heading for victory. So, I jumped behind and immediately felt how big a difference it was to be behind him. Then the group came very quickly, and it became a big group for the sprint.”

Long-distance and long race still suits you quite well.

“Yes, it will probably be up to five hours. The most important thing of all is that you have good skis like we had that last year. Then you feel stronger; if you have a little better glide than the competitors we had last year, you can go a little easier and have a little more energy for the end. A longer race also invites for more tactics.”

You have good skis most of the time in Ragde.

“We have a good waxing team. They are professional, work well and hard. I just hope it lasts. You should take the opportunity to enjoy the times you have excellent skis.”

Now strong winds and harsh conditions await on Saturday. What are your thoughts before the race?

“It will be a hard race. I think the new lap will be good and not much different from the long regular lap. Of course, it would have been fun to ski the regular course, but I think it’s a good alternative.”

Next up in the Visma Ski Classics is Årefjällsloppet. The 104-kilometer classic race takes place in Sweden on March 26, 2022.

Don’t miss out on the event, available on Ski Classics Play. The women start at 7:30 CET and the men at 8:15 CET.

ÅREFJÄLLSLOPPET – FACTS