The reigning Olympic Games champion Sandra Näslund has a long history of injuries.
Most of the injuries have affected the right knee, which she has undergone surgery on several times. Just in 2024, she suffered two injuries.
First, she injured her right knee in January and in the World Cup premiere in December, she crashed and got a crack in her right shinbone. Thus, the season was over.
Mental challenge
Now Sandra Näslund admits that the injuries have become a mental challenge.
It's about creating a sense of security. To dare to trust the body and believe that it will work. If I'm too cautious, I won't be able to reach my capacity. Then I don't know if I think it's fun to ski.
She says that the summer has been a challenge for the right knee.
I'm maybe not entirely where I would like to be. I haven't been able to train as I want during the summer. I've been struggling a bit with the pain and with a knee that swells and becomes irritated, says Näslund.
Train the nervous system
Eric Iljans, national team captain for the skicross team, is aware of the concern that exists with Sandra Näslund.
If you've been injured several times, it's always an uphill battle until you can trust everything. We in the national team have ideas and change the training plan a bit to get the body to trust itself.
He says that the preseason training will include more super-G training to get up to speed. In addition, there will be more skiing in hills with extra icy surfaces.
It's so that the nervous system understands what to do without thinking. You train the nervous system for different tasks. The skier must be able to expose their own ability to different surfaces and situations.
+ December 2024: Crack in the right shinbone after a crash during the World Cup premiere in the French Val Thorens. Out for the rest of the season.
+ January 2024: Injury to the right knee in connection with the World Cup in Nakiska, Canada. Out for the rest of the season.
+ March 2023: Injured the knee during training in Veysonnaz, Switzerland.
+ November 2020: Knee injury during training in Laax, Switzerland. Missed the start of the season.
+ January 2015: Tore the cruciate ligament in the right knee during a competition in the French Val Thorens.
