Together with Sebastian Samuelsson, Ella Halvarsson won the single mixed relay in Finnish Kontiolahti.
It was not at all certain that Ella Halvarsson would get a place in the A-national team this season.
She was not super given, we had a long discussion. We have been very much on her, she knew what was required, hard work from the start, and she took the chance. She showed that she could develop and is now at the highest level and wins in the World Cup, says national team coach Johannes Lukas.
I'm not entirely surprised that it went so well. She has shown super good results in recent weeks, been best in shooting in the last interval passes, so it was pretty clear that she would do the single mix.
Got continuity
Halvarsson, 25, now explains her big breakthrough in the world elite by saying that she has been able to be whole and healthy throughout the preseason.
I've got continuity in my training. If you get sick at the end of each month – it hasn't really been like that, but I haven't had those breaks this year. Now it starts to work suddenly, it's felt like it should feel, says Halvarsson.
I may have recovered better and been more meticulous about everything – sports drink, diet. Maybe I've done something better, or maybe I've just had more luck.
Only Simon was faster
The Swede was surprisingly fast on the track. On her second leg, only the French star Julia Simon was faster.
It was nice to feel that I kept up very well in the skiing. I thought that everyone would leave me behind, so it was fun that they didn't, says Halvarsson.
I knew that the shooting would be the biggest challenge, especially in the standing position with Julia Simon in front of me who shoots in 16 seconds. I had a little wobble in both my standing series but just tried to stay calm and focus on myself.
There was no big celebration of the victory for Halvarsson.
I told her that the sad thing now is that you only get to enjoy the prize ceremony, then it's time for recovery. This is not the last we've seen of her, says Lukas.
The World Cup premiere in Kontiolahti continues with the women's relay on Sunday. Likely with Ella Halvarsson in the Swedish team.
