Multiple Olympic and world medalist in cross-country skiing, the Swede Stina Nilsson switched to biathlon in 2020. Four years later, the Swede decided to change discipline again.
In the summer of 2020, the announcement of Stina Nilsson’s transition from cross-country skiing to biathlon caused a stir. Olympic sprint champion in 2018 (5 Olympic medals in total) and double world relay champion in 2019 (5 world medals in total), the profile of the Swede could offer hope of great things with a rifle on her back.
Unfortunately, the native of Mora never managed to find the sights on the shooting ranges of the world circuit. In 36 World Cup starts, Stina Nilsson has only been on the podium once in an individual race (3rd in the Kontiolahti sprint in 2022).
The 2023-2024 season was very delicate for the Swede with going back and forth between the World Cup and the IBU Cup and a non-selection for the world championships.
“ I was tired of there always being something wrong”
Faced with these difficulties, Stina Nilsson decided to return to cross-country skiing, but in the long distance format within the Team Ragde Charge team.
“Even when I switched to biathlon, I saw myself as a three-stage rocket. First cross-country skiing, then biathlon and, finally, long-distance cross-country skiing,” she told SVT Sport.
In a press release she explains: “I feel that I have reached my full potential in biathlon. There were two years when it didn’t work out when shooting. In biathlon, you can be in great shape, do a superb lie down and then stand still while standing, without having a solution. I was tired of there always being something wrong. »
