Anna Swenn-Larsson: “For me, the toilet is not my big goal”

She has been fourth once and fifth twice.

Last spring, Anna Swenn-Larsson had only four skiers in front of her in the World Cup slalom cup – despite a season that started with back problems so severe that she . lost contact with one leg.

For a while he thought even the Swedish alpine veteran about hanging. But when this year’s season traditionally begins north of the Arctic Circle, in Finnish Levi this weekend, the WC 2019 silver medalist knows exactly where she wants to go: to the podium there the cup standings, when the season ends in March.

On the way, a toilet is waiting in Austria.

– But for me, the WC is not my big goal, says the star when DN meets her before the start of the season.

– I have dreamed of being the best three in the world in the slalom cup. I’ve said that many times, and it’s still a big goal of mine. I want to be stable for a whole season and fight for the top places.

So it would be bigger than a possible new WC base?

– For me it feels more. Then of course, when the World Cup comes, it’s a big goal. But I want to be in as good shape now in Levi as I was in February.

Last year’s season started with the product line 19th, qualification loss, 24th, 15th.

Her left leg was paralyzed due to a bulging disc pressing against a nerve root in her spine. The solution physically was two injections, but mentally the start of the season was difficult:

– It was very dark there. There were definitely thoughts “now I’m ready”, Swenn-Larsson told DN.

Around the New Year, however, the revolution began.

In February, she took the first “own” World Cup victory of her career (Sweden already had a shared victory from 2022) and there were also two more podium places before the season over.

How is your back now?

– Better, says Anna Swenn-Larsson about this year’s pre-season.

– Then I will be honest and say that I felt it in Ushuaia (national team camp in Argentina earlier last fall). Not the nervous breakdown. But I’ve also had some unrelated back pain.

– But I’m 33 and as long as I don’t have any weird problems, it’s easy to manage.

Last year’s season was two faces, she notes.

– My leg was a big disaster from the beginning of Levi until around Christmas, but then gradually I got my strength back more and more and then the riding was good again.

– I’m very proud that I managed to turn it around and still finish fifth in the cup, it feels amazing looking back.

What will it take for this season?

– I really feel that you should never give up, you should keep fighting. That anything can happen in our sport.

– Then it is important to have people around you who support you and believe in you, and I really felt that I had that. Especially Mattias (partner scale and Rönngren national team). But also many of the teachers who were there.

Anna Swenn-Larsson breaking in and laughing.

14 times she has stood alone on the podium in the World Cup. She has been runner-up at home, but has also been plagued by injuries, illnesses and skiing in the off-season.

– So I learned that – but I’ve learned that before too! My career has been a bit of a roller coaster.

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