Both 2022 and 2023 saw Ribom standing at the top of the season's first podium in the World Championship. After the victory in Ruka last year, she happily told TT:
It may be my "happy place."
Now she's back in eastern Finland. And a little over a year after the second triumph, a sprint awaits on Saturday.
It's a course I like. I have really nice memories from here. Now we've got a 10-kilometer classical in our legs, so it'll be exciting to see how it works and responds. But I'm loaded and looking forward to it, says Ribom.
"It was stable"
Unlike the two previous seasons, the sprint didn't kick off the season in the World Championship. On Friday, they competed in 10 km classical. Ribom finished 13th, one and a half minutes behind the superior Frida Karlsson.
It was a step forward compared to last weekend. It was also what I wanted with this day. It was stable, she says after the race.
Last weekend, Ribom competed in the Swedish premiere in Bruksvallarna.
Mostly, I think there's more energy than what I experienced last weekend in "Bruks". It wasn't a super placement, maybe, but I still think it's tight after Frida (Karlsson) and not too many seconds up. So it's something nice to build on, I think.
"Will be tough"
The goal is set on the third consecutive sprint victory in Ruka. But Ribom is aware of the extremely tough competition.
Norwegian Kristine Stavås Skistad is indeed missing, but in the Swedish premiere, Ribom finished fourth behind Jonna Sundling, Maja Dahlqvist, and Johanna Hagström.
It's clear that you always hope for it. But it will be tough, says Ribom.
Ladies: Johanna Hagström, Emma Ribom, Frida Karlsson, Jonna Sundling, Linn Svahn, Maja Dahlqvist.
Men: Oskar Svensson, Marcus Grate, Edvin Anger, Johan Häggström, Måns Skoglund, Emil Danielsson.
