Last year, she made a solid comeback after two seasons on the sidelines. This winter, Linn Svahn was back in full force. After missing the entire Olympic season in 2022 and much of the World Championship season in 2023, she won the sprint World Cup and came close to clinching the overall World Cup title, finishing just behind Jessie Diggins.

At the Swedish Championships, she stood on the podium in every individual event and one of two relays, returning home with one gold, two silver, and two bronze medals. No other skier took more medals than the 24-year-old from Östersund.

Is Linn Svahn the next Therese Johaug? Many have pointed to the rock-solid Swede as a possible heir according to Langrenn.com.

Never be a new Johaug

Therese Johaug won race after race, week after week, for much of her career until she retired in 2022. Now the queen of cross-country skiing is making a comeback for the World Championships in Trondheim. But during the two seasons Johaug was absent, no one took her dominant role.

Whether anyone will do so in the long run, or if that era of having a runner as dominant as Johaug is over, Svahn is uncertain.

Of the 30 sprint races she has participated in at the World Cup, she has won 12 and been on the podium in an additional seven. This is despite the fact that the lightning-fast Swede has missed two seasons at the senior level. She has also won three distance races in the World Cup and believes she can develop to win all types of races and distances—but not all at once.

“I believe I have the potential to do it. It just depends on whether I want to. But if I want to win a 50 km freestyle, I won’t win the skating sprint. I don’t want to sacrifice one for the other,” Svahn tells Aftonbladet.

Read more: The road to the Trondheim World Championships for Linn Svahn

Do such skiers even exist?

“There are probably a few, like every hundred years. A handful succeed at it. But I don’t think I will succeed in that. The level is so high that you can’t be mediocre at everything and still expect to win ski races. If you want to be really good at something, you can be, but then you will be worse at something else. And for me, a 50 km doesn’t tempt me that much. For now.”

You don’t see yourself becoming a new Therese Johaug, someone who wins distance races week after week?
“No. Not with the way I’m built and trained.”

And that’s exactly why it’s uncertain if the two ski stars will meet at the starting line during the World Championships in Trondheim.

“I think we cultivate our respective extremes. I probably won’t be at the start line for the 50 km at the World Championships. That will likely be her signature event this winter. But I will be racing against her this year, and that will be exciting,” says Svahn.

Aiming for gold in Trondheim

World Cup victories and SM medals are plentiful for Svahn. But she currently lacks international championship medals. She intends to change that in Trondheim. She is now in her preparation phase and reveals the plan that aims to secure her gold.

It’s all about refining her expertise even further.

“I plan to focus more on one extreme this year, compared to last year. Last year, I wanted to be good at most things. Maybe not super good at anything, but good at everything,” Svahn explains, continuing:

“I want to focus a bit more on sprint this year. That’s where I see my best chances of winning a medal and achieving gold at a championship.”

It’s clear that Linn Svahn has the talent in this area.