Norwegian skiing icon Frode Estil is tracking 19-year-old Myhlback to become the next great king of cross-country skiing and take over the throne from current star Johannes Høsflot Klæbo.
He has competed in several roller ski races in Norway this summer and has beaten them all. He has the x-factor needed to challenge Klæbo, Estil tells Radiosporten .
Alvar Myhlback himself is calm – despite the excitement after the Vasaloppet victory, the comparisons with Petter Northug and Estil's prophecy.
“I'm struggling”
I don't feel like I have to live up to it," he told TT at Thursday's press conference in Ruka ahead of the World Cup premiere.
He stands by his dream and goal of taking over the throne and becoming a new ski king himself.
I work hard and do everything I can to become one.
The 19-year-old super talent, who became the youngest Vasalopp winner ever in March, is basically focusing on the cross-country ski cup this season as well. But on Monday he was selected for the Swedish national ski team after, among other things, coming third in the 10-kilometer race in the Swedish premiere in Gällivare last weekend.
Difficult choice
On Friday, Myhlback will run the same distance in Ruka in northern Finland, instead of being at training camp with his long-distance running team, Team 157.
"It was a little difficult. I got carried away and ended up thinking this was the most fun thing I could do this weekend," he says.
Myhlback has previously competed in the World Cup in Gällivare, Östersund (both 2023), Falun and Lillehammer (both 2024).
The Ruka mini-tour starts on Friday with a 10-kilometer classic for the women and men at 10:30 and 1:15 p.m. Swedish time. On Saturday there is a classic sprint and on Sunday a 20-kilometer mass start in freestyle.
Corrected: An earlier version of this text stated that Alvar Myhlback is making his World Cup debut. The correct statement is that he has competed in the World Cup before.
