Anna Magnusson Found a New Gear After Many Years on the World Cup Circuit, Digi Mart USA News: In her eleventh season on the World Cup circuit, Anna Magnusson made her big breakthrough. For a while, she was a regular on the podium, and she came very close to an individual Olympic medal.
Her success played a big part in her decision to continue for one more season.
Anna Magnusson appeared calm and confident when Langd.se spoke with her during the season kick-off at Idre Fjäll. She said she was surprised by the big step forward she took last winter.
She started with four straight podiums and the lead in the World Cup.
“It has long been a dream to raise my level, but I was probably a little surprised that it went so well. If I hadn’t improved, I might have thought I had reached my highest level and not continued,” said the experienced 31-year-old.
“At the same time, it shows that if you train hard for many years, success can come. I hope I can be a role model in that way.”
Staying free from both injury and illness was also very important.
“I didn’t have a single period of illness last summer and fall, and I could prepare for the season exactly as I had hoped. Of course that also played a part.”
Asked what her rivals on the World Cup had said about her progress after so many years, she replied: “Actually, a few of them came up to congratulate me and thought it was great to see my success.”
Despite her success, the Olympics in Milano-Cortina were still something of a disappointment, at least at the time. Anna Magnusson finished fourth in the mass start after coming extremely close to her first individual medal at a major international championship.
She left the range in second place after the final shooting, having shot clean in all four stages. But, as with many other Swedes at the Olympics, her skis were not in the absolute top condition needed for an individual medal.
“The equipment is no secret, and of course it was very hard mentally to feel that I was so close to a medal and to drop from second place, leaving the last shooting in fourth place at the finish. But at the same time I did everything I could, and I see it a bit more positively now, with some distance from the race.
I shot clean four times for the first time that season. It was my best performance.
I handled the pressure. I couldn’t have done more.”
A silver medal in the relay saved the Olympics, and Anna Magnusson took home another medal from a major international championship. In total, she now has seven World Championship and Olympic relay medals in her fairly well-stocked trophy cabinet.
On top of that comes an individual World Cup win. The only things missing are a relay gold at a major championship or an individual medal in a championship race as she enters her twelfth full season on the World Cup.
She believes she can keep developing as a biathlete.
“I took steps forward both on the range and on the course last season. I skied a little faster and shot a little better, and that makes a big difference in the results.
But I think I can get a bit more out of it.”
Discussing rule changes on handling the rifle on the range, introduced for safety reasons, she said: “I think it has gone well. We have practiced it since the rules came at the start of the summer, so I feel confident that I will manage it in races too.”
Asked whether she is as well prepared this season as she was before last season, she said: “It has been a bit calmer this year, you could say. We have trained more at home.
But I have stayed healthy and injury-free this year as well and feel well prepared in that way.”
One reason the national team has trained more at home this year is that the World Championships are held at low altitude in Otepää, Estonia. The Olympics in Milano-Cortina were held at high altitude in the Alps, which required different preparations.
Magnusson has also started studying alongside biathlon this season. Asked whether she has time for both, she said: “I am quite motivated to study and learn new things, so it works fine.”
Asked about the absence of Hanna Öberg and Linn Gestblom this season, she said: “We will definitely notice that they are not there. But we have good depth and many talented women coming up.
More of them will get the chance to race relays and become confident in that. In the longer term, it can help more athletes come through.”
The success Anna Magnusson achieved last season has given her more self-confidence, and she enters the World Cup season, which starts in Kontiolahti at the end of November, knowing she can be on the podium if she has a perfect day.
“A lot of it is in the head. In previous seasons I may have felt that a perfect performance meant the top ten.
Now it can mean the podium, or maybe even a win.”
A World Championship gold in Otepää is a dream, but it is not the main reason she is continuing this season.
“For me, it is first and foremost about taking another step. Then the results will follow.
The World Cup overall is a high priority. I want to race a lot and get good results.
If there is no gold at the World Championships or no individual medal, and I feel that I have improved, I can still be quite happy.”
The season opener is in Idre next weekend. Asked about her nickname, Krut (Swedish for “gunpowder”), she said it has nothing to do with biathlon: “Ha, ha.
No, it actually has nothing at all to do with biathlon. My big brother made an email address for me when I was little, and it has stuck since then.”
