Feeling weak in the knees isn't always a positive thing. Ask Ebba Andersson, who points to her troublesome right knee as a central part of why she had such difficulty standing last season.
For example, remember the most spectacular blunder of the Olympics, the huge crash in Val di Fiemme that resulted in a broken ski and a missed Swedish relay gold medal (it ended up silver). But that wasn't the only one.
She fell once more during the Olympic relay and again in the Holmenkollen 5000. This summer she has done what she could to get the problems under control.
"I've mainly tried to let go of these mental barriers that appeared more and more during the final part of last season. At that time I felt that I didn't really have control over my knee," says Ebba Andersson.
Continuing problems
With roller skis under her feet, she has unknowingly challenged herself by letting go in the downhill runs.
I've tried to toughen myself up a bit as best I could on roller skis. At least enough so that I still feel like I have control. But above all, not being mentally affected by fear. Because it was a bit like that when there were a few falls that followed each other last year.
But her knee continues to elude her, and has stopped the 29-year-old cross-country star from what is usually one of the great pleasures of the preseason: running.
It's sad to have to complain, but I wish I could have run more freely. I run a little, but there are limitations on how much, how long and what terrain. So 2.5 hours of mountain running is not an option right now, says Andersson.
World Cup on home soil
Training has been going well during the summer, even though much of the running has been replaced by cycling. The hope is that this will not ultimately affect performance on the ski trails, with the World Championships in Falun at the end of February/March as the big goal.
Ebba Andersson is the reigning world champion in skiathlon and 10 kilometers. But it is the five-kilometre that attracts the most, after she lost the fight for the World Cup gold in Trondheim 2025 after a fall on the final climb.
I know that there are two golds for me to try to defend. It won't be easy but I will really give it a try. Then of course I am hungry for revenge in the 5km from the last World Championships. Even though I got a little revenge at the Olympics (gold), there is still a little desire left in me to really take revenge on it fully.
