He is 1.90 meters tall and weighs nearly 100 kilos. The type of powerhouse that, historically, with a few exceptions, has had a hard time measuring up to the very best in cross-country skiing.
Edvin Anger says that he has been forced to silence doubters throughout his career. Most recently in Tuesday's 10-kilometer classic, where he, despite the heavy snow, was only a few seconds from a sensational World Championship bronze.
For myself, it's not that surprising. But for everyone else, it probably is, says Edvin Anger about his fourth place.
I like to prove people wrong, and this was really a proof of that.
Praised by Mieto
In the past, the best skiers were shorter and above all lighter. As ski technology has changed and track quality has improved, heavier, more muscular talents have been able to challenge.
Cross-country skiers have become bigger. There were skiers in the past, like Juha Mieto, who were even bigger than me and skied well. But that was more of an exception. Now the tracks are much harder and that suits me much better. And we have poles that don't bend like bananas like they used to, says Edvin Anger.
Just Mieto is impressed by the 22-year-old Swede's performance on the tracks. The 75-year-old Finn, multiple Olympic Games and World Championship medalist, believes that Sweden has a gold nugget.
Sweden has a coming skier in world class, says Mieto in an interview with Södra Dalarnes Tidning.
But he will be an even bigger threat at the Olympic Games next year, if the development continues in the same direction. He can even be the best in the world in a year.
Impressed in notorious hill
What surprises with Anger is that he, like in Tuesday's 10-kilometer race, has delivered top performances when the conditions have spoken against him. An example is the steep Tour de Ski finale up Alpe Cermis, where Anger finished as high as 12th at the turn of the year.
Have you experienced that people haven't believed in you?
Yes, there are probably many who think I won't be able to ski fast when the conditions are tough and the tracks are difficult. But that just motivates me, says Anger.
Just like Mieto, he believes that the best is yet to come, and exemplifies with the performance on 10 kilometers in Trondheim:
It just shows what's coming in the future. It's very good, but it's not quite enough. But give me another year of training only.
