Truls Gisselman delivered two stellar performances in Bruksvallarna. On Saturday, he claimed second place in the classic distance race, just three seconds behind Edvin Anger. Then, on Sunday, he repeated the feat with another second place in the freestyle race, narrowly trailing Canada’s Olivier Leveille. To top it off, he placed 11th in the sprint prologue and 13th in the sprint final.

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While several A and B Swedish national team athletes struggled, 23-year-old Gisselman, representing Rehns BK, stepped up to set an example early in the season. When ProXCskiing.com’s sister site Langd.se spoke with Truls during the Swedish national team’s high-altitude training camp in Livigno on September 19, he was already formulating plans for the season’s opening races.

The World Championships is the Main Goal

“My main goal is the World Championships and earning a spot on the (Swedish) team,” says Gisselman.

“That’s why it’s important to be in shape early and perform well in the first competitions of the season.”

And he performed well in Bruksvallarna. The Swedish national team for the upcoming World Cup in Ruka is expected to be announced this Tuesday. Based on this weekend’s results, it would be surprising if Gisselman isn’t included. After all, Swedish national team coach Stefan Thomson has made it clear that athletes need at least a top-four finish to be considered for selection. Gisselman’s back-to-back second-place finishes put him firmly in the running.

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Ruka’s schedule features a 10km classic race, one of Gisselman’s preferred events. But when asked about his best chances at a World Championships, Gisselman remains pragmatic:

“I think I’ll have better opportunities in distance races this winter, but if I’m in good sprint form, anything’s possible,” he says.

“Specifically, I think 10km classic suits me well. It would also be incredible to compete in a 50km race. But to earn that chance, I need to perform at a very high level in shorter distances and World Cups leading up to the championship since there aren’t many 50km races in the season.”

For those interested, more information about the Swedish Skiing Association’s selection criteria for the Trondheim World Championships and World Cup events is available.

From World Championships Dreams to Ski Classics

Fortunately, the World Championships aren’t until late February. If Gisselman doesn’t make the cut, there’s another plan in place: Vasaloppet with Team Ramudden.

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Last season, Gisselman competed with Team Janteloppet, Petter Northug’s team. This season, the 23-year-old has joined Pro Team Team Ramudden for long-distance competitions.

Also Read: Team Ramudden – Pro Team presentation Season XVI

“If I don’t make the World Championships, then Vasaloppet will likely become the focus,” he explains.

“I did a few long-distance races at the end of last season and really enjoyed them. They’re great training. For now, my primary focus is still traditional skiing, but the plan is to participate in some long-distance races as well.”

Though traditional and long-distance skiing differ, Gisselman sees value in the overlap:

“Double poling is a core component of traditional skiing, and the skills are very transferable. If I improve my double poling, it’s highly likely that I’ll also improve in skating, especially in techniques like gear three.”

Additionally, Gisselman enjoys learning from the diverse teams he interacts with:

“It’s nice to be part of different groups and learn from people with varying expertise. I try to absorb as much knowledge as possible.”

A Rising All-Rounder

Gisselman is an all-round skier who performed consistently well across competitions last season, potentially due to the strong network of expertise around him. He competes for the Swedish national team, Team Bauhaus, and Ramudden’s Pro Team, which is led by Gustaf and Lina Korsgren. His father, Magnus, is involved in the ski industry, while his girlfriend, Barbora Antošová, is a World Cup Czech sprinter.