It was last Monday that Karlsson landed at the Swedish Olympic hotel in Panchià, up on the mountain above the Olympic stadium where the cross-country competitions are held.
The high-altitude training in nearby Lavazè had had the desired effect. For fitness. And for well-being.
You could see right away how she just glowed. It was like an aura around her; she was happy and positive in every way. She has been the first one up in the mornings here during the Olympics because she doesn't want to sleep; she just wants to soak up everything, says national team manager Anders Byström.
The contrast to the Karlsson he witnessed during the Beijing Games four years ago could not be greater.
An extreme difference. She wasn't feeling very well then. It was isolating because of the pandemic and we had to sit in our rooms. Frida had to be well on the sidelines to be able to perform.
“Seize the day”
Frida Karlsson signs everything. The 26-year-old literally shines when she meets the journalists with a golden hat on her head - someone has carelessly written “Frida” in black marker on the front - and a new gold medal around her neck.
It's like I wake up in the morning and just think, "Are we going to seize this day, guys?" I'm really enjoying myself, says Karlsson after winning the 10-kilometer freestyle.
She repeats what she said about the Beijing Olympics, where she left without any individual medals. That it felt like she was going "to war." Freedom, which is so crucial for Karlsson, was nonexistent.
The feeling was that we were just things that had to perform. And then the focus became solely on results.
It's not enough for Frida Karlsson. Taking the World Championship gold in the five-mile in Trondheim last year was long-awaited, but something was missing.
The game.
After the World Championships, she promised herself she would find her way back to the skier she wanted to be. And now she stands here as a double Olympic champion.
I am truly living my best life right now and feel like I am in the place I promised myself I would be after Trondheim.
Could be more gold
In Val di Fiemme she spends as much time outdoors as she can, something that would have been impossible four years ago. During the day she trains with her national teammates. In the evenings she takes walks with her family.
The competitions themselves almost feel like a bonus.
"It was magical to ski today," she says of the 10-kilometer race, which she won by a landslide.
I was carried along by our coaches and the crowd. It was like I didn't feel tired. So when I reached the finish line, I was lying there, groaning and feeling the pain.
With both relays and 5,000m left, there are good chances for more medals for Frida Karlsson. Because right now there is nothing she longs for more than putting on her skis every day.
I'm here playing my favorite game - with my best friends.
