The Talent Under Pressure: "You Can Feel It"

Edwin Anger has had to live with epithets such as "super talent" and "future hope". It was not always easy when the skiing did not quite come together last winter. But I learned an awful lot from it, says the 22-year-old.

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The Talent Under Pressure: "You Can Feel It"
Photo: Björn Larsson Rosvall/TT

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Edvin Anger has had to live with epithets such as "supertalent" and "future hope".

It was not always easy when the cross-country skiing did not quite live up to expectations last winter.

I learned an awful lot from it, says the 22-year-old.

While the Swedish female cross-country skiers have racked up successes in recent seasons, it has been more sparse on the men's side.

Therefore, Edvin Anger and other potential cross-country skiing stars have had to live with various expectant descriptions.

It's clear that you feel the pressure, absolutely, no question about it, says the 22-year-old.

The Åsarna skier has just completed a long day's training under the men's national team's "transition camp", which via running and roller skiing will take the active athletes from Ängelholm to Ulricehamn.

He notes that the successes during his first World Championship season, 2022-2023, came with a downside.

Yes, the pressure felt a bit more last winter, since I had such an extremely good first year in the World Cup with many finals and I was close to the podium all the time, he says.

Then it really became "now it's time" and "now Edvin should be on the podium every weekend". Then you did feel the pressure coming.

"Some highs"

He did take his two first individual podium places last winter, first a second place in the sprint in Davos at the beginning of January and a few weeks later a third place in Canmore.

However, these were the bright spots in a season that the 22-year-old otherwise describes as "a bit in between".

It was not a very good season at all. But I have some highs that redeem it a bit. The podium places and then a bit at the end with the National Championships as well, says Edvin Anger.

I was on the podium. But I still think that there was a lot that was not enough, that I didn't feel that I got everything out.

"A sense of security"

With hindsight, perhaps the focus on both sprint and distance events in the World Cup was a bit too much, he thinks.

On the other hand, it was a championship-free season. Ahead of the winter, with the World Championship in Trondheim in February-March, the plan will be different.

Competing so extremely much maybe wasn't the best for the results. But I hope it will give a little bit of toughness for what's coming ahead, he says.

It's fun to compete there and then. But I'll probably try to focus a bit more on the sprints and the 10-kilometer maybe.

It sounds like you've learned a lot from last season?

Yes, it really feels that way. Now I've got to feel the pressure and a year that didn't go as I wanted. It gives me a sense of security ahead of next season.

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By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers

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