Stina Nilsson ends her biathlon career – bets on long-distance running

Stina Nilsson ends her biathlon venture.

Instead, the 30-year-old switches sports again to long-distance running.

– The gun is put on the shelf and the rods are cut, so we’ll see how far I get, she says to SVT.

After four seasons, Stina Nilsson cancels her investment in biathlon.

Instead, it will be cross-country skiing again, this time in the long-distance cup.

Stina Nilsson has signed a two-year contract with the Norwegian big team Team Ragde Charge and compete in Ski Classics.

The team is owned by the Norwegian long-distance legends Jörgen Aukland and Anders Aukland.

– Even when I switched to biathlon, I saw myself as a three-stage rocket. It will be cross-country skiing, biathlon and then I will try long-distance running. Now it feels very right and exciting, says Stina Nilsson.

“I feel ready”

As a best result, Stina Nilsson had a second place in the relay and a third place in the sprint as a biathlete in the World Cup.

According to her, it was now an easy decision to end her biathlon career.

– It was very easy, but it was also like that when I closed my cross-country skiing chapter. As a person, I am one hundred percent one way or the other and when I feel ready with it, which I did after I made the decision, it has been like closing a book and opening a new one, says Stina Nilsson.

Coach: She will be missed

The national team’s biathlon coach Jean-Marc Chabloz joined the national team at the same time as Nilsson and the duo worked very closely together during the first seasons.

– When she told me, at first I thought “no, of course you shouldn’t do that” but after a minute or so I saw that she had the same glow in her eyes as she had when she started biathlon and then I felt that she had made the right decision. I feel like it’s a lot of fun for her.

Did you know that?

– I understood a little when you talked in Oslo, there have been difficult seasons despite some really good results. She has been extremely strong at shielding herself from negative headlines, but it is clear that it is difficult to be completely shielded. Biathlon is a tough sport too. You can do so many good things and she herself has described how frustrating it is when it’s a small thing that doesn’t work and then it affects the result enormously, says Chabloz and elaborates:

– She probably had some thoughts about taking a season outside the national team and giving it a chance at Lenzerhiede, but it still felt like it had been hard and now she has found joy again in long distance running. She will be missed absolutely but we will not lose our relationship in any way, I am very proud to have worked with her, says Chabloz.

As a cross-country skier, Stina Nilsson won five Olympic medals and seven WC medals, of which one Olympic gold and two WC gold.

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