“Calle Halfvarsson Talks Family, Career, and Chasing an Individual Championship Medal”

Ten-month-old Casper-Lo is crawling around on the floor chasing a ball with increasing frenzy. Mother Isabell squats next to her and keeps an eye on her.

On the sofa, father Calle leans forward and glances at his son.

– My mother was here this morning for a while. She said afterwards that “He’s worse than you were as a child“. Then you realize that there is something extra in the form of energy.

Then he continues:

– Casper is at a really messy age right now. And it will surely only get worse. He is just on the verge of learning to walk.

And yes, the day has undeniably been a bit messy for Casper-Lo, Isabell Olsson and Calle Halfvarsson.

A visit to the child care center dragged on. And in the car on the way home, the little one started to feel sick.

Really bad.

– He probably got it from me. I always got motion sickness when I was little. Or… sometimes I still do, says Calle Halfvarsson and grins.

The view through the panoramic windows behind where the 34-year-old sits is magnificent. The house is built on a beach plot, with a sloping grassy slope down to the sparkling lake Gopen where a pair of artificial swans bob by a jetty.

– You don’t want a lot of Canada geese here who screw everything up. And then I was told that you can scare them away with artificial swans, says Calle Halfvarsson.

And?

– It actually works!

The couple has lived in the house since they got together three years ago. That’s when the two matched one day on Tinder.

– She didn’t know who she chose to be together with, says Calle.

Is that right, Isabell? You had no idea who Calle was?

– Well, I’ve never looked at skis. I was 22 – then you don’t sit and watch stuff like that, says Isabell Olsson.

– I remember the first time I asked asked what you do – and you answered “Skiing“. I just sighed inside.

Why?

– I grew up in Mora, where there is a ski high school. So I thought well”Yeah, that kind of guy who doesn’t really do anything. Who has no regular job.”

You didn’t ask how good he actually was?

– Well, I probably didn’t.

From his corner on the sofa, Calle Halfvarsson chimes in:

– Well, it was her parents who told her.

Isabell Olsson nods and continues:

– Mmm, I went home to my mother, who immediately wondered “But where do you meet such celebrities?”.

And it turned out pretty well in the end, huh?

– Yes, it was.

Then Isabell Olsson looks at her partner and smiles before she continues:

– But it was lucky for you that I had such an old age set on Tinder. So you slipped through there.

But if you turn it around – so you had a fairly low age set, Calle?

– Mmm, and it’s actually a bit scary.

And then they both laugh.

* * *

It has been over 14 years since Calle Halfvarsson debuted in the World Cup. It ended with a 54th place in a five-mile in Falun – close to seven minutes behind Swiss superstar Dario Cologna.

The career since then?

– It could have gone so much better, says Calle Halfvarsson briefly.

More precisely?

– Nah, but I have a feeling that… damn… there are many seasons that have sort of slipped out of my hands. I’ve had a few seasons that kind of just disappeared.

The national team veteran shakes his head.

– You put in a hell of a job. And then everything just becomes crap. While you know what capacity you have.

Anyone who has followed Calle Halfvarsson’s career knows roughly what he is referring to. Those seasons that were ruined by illness, stomach problems and incorrect training plans.

At 34 years old, he can now look back on a decade at the absolute top of the world. But also a good decade without an individual championship medal.

– It is a career that is very special, says Calle Halfvarsson as he now sits on a chair by the house’s kitchen island.

– It’s not over yet, but… if it were to happen that I end up without an individual championship medal, it would feel damn strange.

It has never been closer than during the five miles at the WC in Planica a couple of months ago. On the way into the race, four riders had broken away: Halfvarsson, Johannes Hösflot Kläbo, Pål Golberg and William Poromaa.

Everything looked set for a medal for the strong sprinter Halfvarsson.

That was not the case.

– I do everything wrong there at the end. And why do I do it? Why do I only focus on Kläbo, turn my back on him – and therefore go the longest way on the last hill?

The gold was now won by Golberg while Kläbo took the silver – and William Poromaa the bronze.

– William does exactly everything right. He does a maximum performance – but I set up a smorgasbord by my choice of track on the last hill, says Calle Halfvarsson.

In the mixed zone after the race, you still kept a good face – and paid tribute to Poromaa?

– Yes, I didn’t want to spoil William’s joy in that situation. He does everything damn well. And gets his first medal.

But how did you really feel inside?

– It was extremely hard. On the bus home to the hotel, I sat and watched the end of the race over and over. And the only thing I thought was: “What the hell am I doing that for?”

Throughout his career, Calle Halfvarsson has nevertheless collected three WC medals. But all of them are in relays.

The individual is still missing.

– That’s almost how you start to believe in junk. That there have been trolls in this.

Then he continues:

– A thought that has struck me many times is which skaters I have trained with over the years – and how many of those guys have individual medals.

– I can rattle off quite a few. Like Marcus Hellner, Johan Olsson, Daniel Richardsson, Anders Södergren, Emil Jönsson, Teodor Peterson and someone else. And now William.

Calle Halfvarsson looks out the window down towards the lake.

– Everyone is really good. But… I don’t really see myself as a worse skier than them.

– If it were to happen that I retire without that medal – then it’s probably something I’ll think about a lot afterwards.

Is that why you have to run the WC in Trondheim in 2025?

– And, already… (laugh) … I simply must never give up.

* * *

Casper-Lo is clearly feeling much better than an hour ago. In mother Isabell’s lap, the son gets some food while father Calle continues to talk about the future.

So how far ahead are you looking?

– Uh, I take one year at a time. And hope it goes really well again next winter, maybe even a little better.

And if it goes well – will you continue beyond WC 2025 then?

– Yes… we’ll see what the family says.

Okay, what do you say Isabell?

– As long as it goes well, it’s okay. We have said that the day it starts to crack a little, the day it’s about going for a hobby salary, then maybe it’s not so relevant.

Calle Halfvarsson nods.

– That’s how it is. The day I can’t live skiing, I won’t be able to do it anymore. If I don’t get results – then there is no joy anymore.

And if we’re talking family – what do you think?

– If we have more children, it will probably be quite soon, says Calle Halfvarsson.

Isabell Olsson turns to her partner:

– Yes? I don’t really know where this is coming from? The last thing I said was that I would finish studying to become a teacher first. And I have 1.5 years left.

– But of course, I also feel that it can be fair to have a sibling of a reasonably even age.

You have a fantastic house, a child and a couple of cats – you guess there might be a wedding going on?

– Well, we’re not even engaged, says Calle Halfvarsson.

So what do you say, Isabell – shouldn’t he propose soon?

– Well, I actually usually say that to Calle. But it doesn’t seem to go in.

Isabell Olsson then continues with a smile:

– I mean, in the end maybe the offer expires, Calle?

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