ProXCskiing.com’s sister site Langd.se was at the Swedish national cross-country skiing team’s opening event at Svenska Spel’s headquarters in Stockholm on October 28. There, national team manager Anders Byström revealed that, in preparation for the World Championships in Planica, there had been talks with Emil Persson, the Pro Team athlete from Lager 157 Ski Team.

Following an initial segment about selection criteria for the World Cup races in Ruka, Byström was asked if he was in contact with any other skiers outside the national team setup.

“I had a bit of dialogue with Emil Persson last year. I told him: try for the World Championships because you have a chance at the 50km,” the national team manager shared, continuing:

“He sounded interested, and if they (the long-distance skiers) participate in the selection races, they’re also in consideration for the World Championships. Then I know there’s been talk about Stina Nilsson, but as far as I’ve heard, she has no ambition in that regard.”

“It Would Be Awesome to Compete in a Championship”

Emil Persson told Langd.se that he doesn’t remember exactly how he responded to Byström before the World Championships in Planica.

Persson, a Lager 157 Ski Team member, is used to skiing long distances. He holds Legend status in Ski Classics and has multiple victories at the Pro Tour (18 event wins), including Vasaloppet 2023.

“That would be awesome,” Persson shared from Lager 157 Ski Team’s camp in Benidorm.

Also Read: Lager 157 Ski Team – Pro Team presentation Season XVI

In Planica, William Poromaa took third place in the 50km, finishing only four-tenths of a second ahead of Calle Halfvarsson. Jens Burman finished in eighth place, making this World Championship Sweden’s most medal-rich ever. Competition in the Swedish national team was fierce. Despite this, Emil Persson does not rule out the possibility of competing in a future championship.

“Now it’s skating (at the World Championships in Trondheim), so it won’t work. But it would be cool to make it to a championship in classic style. I’d have to adjust my training a bit more, though. I have a decent level of diagonal technique and longer distances. However, it requires more focus on traditional skiing and distances of 10-15 km. I’d also need to add more diagonal striding to my training, which I don’t do now.”

And if there’s a classic 50km in Falun during the 2027 World Championships?

“Yes, competing for Sweden in a championship would be amazing. The thought is there, but there’s no plan for it right now. You take it season by season and see what you feel like. Right now, it’s long-distance skiing that’s the focus.”

Championship in Double Poling

Currently, there’s no championship for long-distance skiers in double poling. But a combined effort is possible. Astrid Øyre Slind, competing for Team Aker Dæhlie, participated in the World Championships in Planica and Vasaloppet 2023.

Since the 2022/2023 season, Astrid has combined long-distance races and a successful career in traditional cross-country skiing. She brought home two medals from the World Championships in Planica: a bronze in the skiathlon and a gold in the relay. She also finished fifth at Vasaloppet. For now, the closest a long-distance skier can get to a championship is 50km in classic style.

Is a double-poling championship missing?

“It would be great if they could arrange it. They could add it to the 2026 Olympics. That would be perfect,” Persson laughs.

At the season opener in Bruksvallarna from November 22-24, one of the distance races will be in classic style, and Persson will be competing.

“Yes, I’m going there to race. There will likely be technique zones, and then the plan is to use the diagonal stride. It’s nice to compete in classic style and diagonal stride. There’s more I’d like to improve there. But considering the unique training approach, I’m usually pretty satisfied.”

Benidorm, Bruks, and Bad Gastein

After the Bruksvallarna opener, the Ski Classics Pro Tour kicks off in Bad Gastein. Lager 157 Ski Team is currently wrapping up their training camp in Benidorm, where they’ve also been cycling.

“I’ve had some really nice days recently. It was tougher a few weeks ago. Things looked bleak. I worked through it, and now I’m starting to look forward to the season,” the 29-year-old from Sweden reflects and continues:

“Training didn’t feel right. It was hard to train. Nothing seemed to click, so I had to take a break to restart a bit.”

“I took five days off training. Then I did other things, hunted a bit. But afterward, when I ramped up training, my body responded fairly quickly.”

Quite a skill to be able to take five days off?

“It’s not something you want to do. You try to avoid it as much as possible. But afterward, you can feel that it was necessary. It’s not very common, but it can be a good thing if you’re feeling a bit lost.”

It shows good body awareness, too.

“Yes, I guess I’ve learned over the years,” Persson concludes.

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