It's a fact that Ella Halvarsson probably wouldn't have been in Lenzerheide with a silver medal around her neck if the national team hadn't decided to focus on shooting – which she's very good at.
I think few other national teams would have taken her in. But we have few active athletes in Sweden and have to develop the ones we have. And we're very good at taking care of them, says national team captain Johannes Lukas.
That's why the medal is special to me.
Halvarsson's cross-country skiing wasn't at A-national team level just a year ago. But from the first camp on Mallorca, where she struggled on the roller skis uphill, it's only gone uphill.
"Healthy attitude"
I had quite a lot of fun on Mallorca, but was pretty bad. I felt like I barely made any progress, she says.
She came to the camp untrained.
Earlier in the spring, I think I'm on vacation and just lie on the couch and chill.
It's maybe her attitude, that she thinks biathlon is fun but doesn't take it too seriously, that makes her special.
At every training session, I think a lot about technique, because it's been very bad. But if it goes badly, I don't think it's the end of the world. I have a pretty healthy attitude towards biathlon.
The extremely tough training Halvarsson has done to reach the world elite in just one season has involved tough long strength sessions, high training volumes with several hours of skating, and a lot of uphill skiing at the Alpine camps.
When we stand here today, you can say it was worth it, says Lukas.
"Different journeys here"
The national team coach's first words to the unexpected silver medalist were to tell her to keep being herself, be happy, and enjoy everything.
Her life will change today, but I wish she can continue to be fine Ella.
The national team teammates are impressed by Halvarsson's silver and are happy to have her on the team.
We won the Junior World Championship gold together in 2018 and have had very different journeys here. It's a sign that it doesn't have to look a certain way to be able to take medals, says Elvira Öberg.
She shoots four zeros and makes a perfect lap in the distance where she knows she has great opportunities. That she takes that opportunity is super strong, says Hanna Öberg.
