Ella Halvarsson made a splash when she won the single mixed relay (with Sebastian Samuelsson) and came second in the short distance at the World Cup premiere last year. She then followed up with a silver in the distance race at the World Championships – and said she would buy a cordless vacuum cleaner with the prize money (more than 300,000 kronor).
When she then appeared on Carina Bergfeldt's talk show on SVT and talked about the struggle to make ends meet before the breakthrough, she immediately received 300,000 kronor from gaming entrepreneur Josef Fares.
So now she no longer has any worries about the economy.
"I have a salary now, it's a bit of a difference. It's nice to have some security," she says.
“Good thing to treat yourself”
When asked what she has treated herself to, she first says:
"Not super expensive stuff, but things that I previously thought were too expensive. Like a merino wool sweater," she says.
I've bought a new car too, I thought, one that's more winter-safe than the one I had before. A Volvo. I had a rear-wheel-drive BMW that was really slippery. It feels good to drive safer, feels like a good thing to treat yourself to.
In addition to the improved financial situation, she is entering the new biathlon season with a little more pressure on herself.
There is a slight difference in expectations, the results that I am satisfied with are slightly different. At the same time, I trust my ability more, I know that I have the capacity.
She says that it is her own pressure that is the greatest.
I haven't had much of a taste of the exterior, maybe it will come when things go badly.
Won in singles mixed – again
In the opening weekend of the World Cup, she did not feel the negative reaction of others to poor results. She made a solid effort in the relay, where the Swedish women came fourth.
And on Sunday, Halvarsson and Samuelsson repeated the feat from last year – they won the single mixed relay in the World Cup premiere, this year in front of their home crowd in Östersund.
It provided an important confirmation for the continuation in Östersund where the first individual race will be on Tuesday, the distance race over 15 kilometers.
The result means a lot, she says.
She has a little to live up to in Tuesday's race – she came second in last year's distance race (short distance) in the World Cup premiere in Finland.
The remaining program in Östersund
2/12: Distance, women 15 km (3:30 p.m.).
3/12: Distance, men's 20 km (3:30 p.m.).
5/12: Sprint, ladies 7.5 km (4 p.m.).
6/12: Sprint, men's 10 km (4:30 p.m.).
7/12: Pursuit start, women 10 km (1:15 p.m.), men 12.5 km (3:20 p.m.).
