One year ago in May, one of Sweden’s most promising skiers transitioned to Ski Classics. Long-distance skiing proved to be more challenging than expected. 

“It was too much. I was too tired a little too often,” says the 21-year-old to SVT.

After a year of focusing entirely on Ski Classics, Tove Ericsson is stepping down from long-distance skiing. 

The talented Swede is now going back to focusing on traditional cross-country skiing. Her goal is the U23 World Championships next winter. 

Also Read – Silly Season: One of Sweden’s most promising skiers fully committed to Ski Classics

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so tired in my life”

At the Junior World Championships in Whistler last year, Ericsson finished in the top 10 three times and was offered a place on the Swedish junior national team. She turned it down in favor of fully committing to Ski Classics for Team Engcon. 

But long-distance skiing turned out differently than she had expected. Her best results of the season were two 11th places, in Marcialonga and Vasaloppet. When she looks back on her training, she thinks it was too much and too challenging during the summer and that she trained too hard. She was also ill at the start of the season. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so tired in my life,” says Ericsson, explaining that she didn’t quite understand the signs. 

“I never thought it was too much. It was nice, too, and an interesting challenge. So, I thought, ‘Great, now we’re on our way. We’ll have to train if we’re going to be good.’ 

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Ericsson says it wasn’t an easy decision. In the end, it was the feelings that decided it. 

“I didn’t have the season I’d hoped for, and for a while, I wondered if I should give it another year to feel that I’d given it a chance. However, I felt that the training done in traditional cross-country skiing tempted me more. That’s mostly it,” says Ericsson.

So, the long-distance skiing venture is over. However, Ericsson doesn’t regret trying her hand at it. 

“I don’t regret what I did. I don’t think back on this as a year I will forget. I’ll always remember what I’ve been part of.”