Seven years ago, Johanna Hagstr\u00f6m moved to Falun. Next winter, the 27-year-old is looking forward to a championship on home soil. And already on February 28, Hagstr\u00f6m will be chasing top results in front of a large crowd at the World Cup sprint at Lugnet.<\/p>\n
Last season, Johanna Hagstr\u00f6m claimed her first World Cup victory when she won the classic sprint during the opening weekend in Ruka, Finland.
\u2014 That victory was very significant. It gave me a confidence boost, and it felt like I finally got to prove what I\u2019m capable of, says Hagstr\u00f6m, who has put together a string of strong performances during the season that is now just over halfway through.<\/p>\n
She has reached the sprint final heat four times in the World Cup, and in December in Trondheim she secured the second World Cup victory of her career.<\/p>\n
Now the 27-year-old is in the final stages of preparation for the major goal of the season: the Olympic Games in Val di Fiemme. Next year, as is well known, the World Championships will be held in Falun. Falun has also been Johanna Hagstr\u00f6m\u2019s home for the past seven years:
\u2014 It would be so cool to get the chance to race a World Championships event at Lugnet. Of course, it\u2019s already a driving force in my training, and especially when I\u2019m at home in Falun, I notice that there\u2019s more and more talk about what\u2019s coming at Lugnet next winter, says Hagstr\u00f6m.<\/p>\n
How big of an advantage is it, as a home skier, to be able to train on the sprint course?
\u2014 Of course it\u2019s an advantage to be able to ski it and really learn the course inside and out. I\u2019ll try to include sprint sessions on the course on the way toward the World Championships. But during the competition season I\u2019m not home that much, says Hagstr\u00f6m, who finished sixth in last season\u2019s World Cup sprint at Lugnet.<\/p>\n
What does the home crowd mean?
\u2014 There\u2019s usually a great atmosphere at Lugnet, and the crowd really helps us Swedish skiers. That will be the case at the World Cup at the end of February, and I imagine it will be even more so at the World Championships. At the World Championships in Trondheim last year, I really made sure to soak in the crowd and felt that it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But then the World Championships in Falun must be even more of a once-in-a-lifetime moment, Johanna Hagstr\u00f6m says with a smile.<\/p>\n