Alvar Myhlback is one of Sweden's biggest skiing talents. Last year, he came third in Vasaloppet and took gold in the Junior World Championship in traditional cross-country skiing.
This winter has been tougher, and at the end of January, Myhlback was dropped from the Junior World Championship, despite being the country's best junior.
Cause: He didn't participate in any Swedish qualifying competition.
"In my head"
Alvar Myhlback says now that the drop is a reason why it has been tough in the long-distance cup Ski Classics.
It was absolutely not positive. Clearly, it affected. It takes a lot of mental energy. It gets stuck in your head. You could have had two, three races to perform in during the Junior World Championship. That opportunity disappeared.
TT: Who are you most disappointed with in the association?
It's the entire association. There are several who contributed to it, answers Myhlback.
TT: What have you learned from this story?
I haven't learned anything. The question is if they (the Swedish Ski Association) have learned anything. They have to answer that.
No message
Alvar Myhlback says that the drop has affected his decision to focus on long-distance or traditional cross-country skiing:
It has definitely done so. Certainly more than what you think.
He doesn't want to give more messages today.
First, Alvar Myhlback will ski Vasaloppet on Sunday. Despite his youth, he has an 80th and a third place on his merit list. Now he's aiming for victory.
It's a natural step. You can't enter a Vasaloppet with the thought of just watching and learning. You have to take charge. If you want to win Vasaloppet, you have to dominate it, says Myhlback, who is preparing for a fast pace:
It suits me well.
Lars Öberg, the cross-country skiing chief at the ski association, regrets how Alvar Myhlback has been affected by the drop:
It's sad to hear how Alvar experiences the situation, and we will definitely take contact with Alvar from the association during the spring-winter, but not at the moment when we're in the middle of a World Championship.
What: The world's largest and most classic skiing competition.
Distance: 90 kilometers.
Start: 8:00 am at Berga by in Sälen.
Broadcast times: SVT: 7:30–13:00, 14:04–16:00. SVT Play: 7:30–21:00.
SR, P4: 07:18–13:00.
Number of registered participants: 15,800.
Before: After the wet weather that started Vasaloppet's winter week, the organizers have built channels to remove the water, dried the snow, and laid out new snow in some places.
Weather forecast: After a few cold nights, the forecast shows cloudy and plus two degrees at the start. In Mora, it will be plus five degrees at the elite's finish and up to nine plus degrees in the afternoon.
Winners 2024: Emilie Fleten, Norway, and Torleif Syrstad, Norway.
