The Portuguese Orienteering Blog
keeps on giving word to young athletes. After
the recent Interviews with Simona Aebersold, Sara Hagström and
Olli Ojanaho - the winner of The Orienteering Achievement of 2015 -,
it is now the turn of Anine Ahlsand to be with us, sharing her most
joyful memories. Divided between FootO and SkiO, the very young
Norwegian has a strong argument to join these two passions: the gold!
The FootO season has finished and
the new SkiO season is already there. In 2015, we could see you on
top of the Junior World Championships' podium in both disciplines,
SkiO and FootO. An amazing achievement, indeed, which put me a
delicate problem: Should I point the Interview to FootO or SkiO? But
first, let's talk about yourself. Please, tell me who is Anine
Ahlsand?
A. A. - I am a nineteen-year-old
girl from Oslo in Norway. Currently I live in Trondheim and study
civil/computer engineering. I moved here this fall to combine studies
with orienteering and skiing. In addition to orienteering, I also do
a lot of XC-Skiing. This year I study 50-75% of full time, so I have
more time for training. Besides doing sports, I love hanging out and
relax with my friends. If you get to know me, you will learn that I
am a very competitive person and hate to lose no matter what the
competition is (laughs).
I have no doubts about it. So, let's
start talking about Ski orienteering. How did you follow the SkiO
World Cup's opening round these days, at Ylläs? Had you planned to
be there?
A. A. - I thought about going
there, but I had to prepare for my exams at home. I also had some
XC-races as a part of my plan that same weekend, and I mainly focus
on the junior-races in SkiO this year. But I will start my SkiO
season this weekend at Sjusjoen in Norway, and I’m excited!
How big is the difference between
the Junior class and the Elite class in SkiO? The challenge is mostly
related with the physical part?
A. A. - I haven’t competed in
the Elite class more than just a couple of times, but I think it is
like most sports, where the Elite class is significantly better than
the Junior class. Of course the physical part is a bigger challenge,
and I also think that the technique should be more stable if you’re
going to perform on a high level in the Elite class. SkiO is a small
sport, and the Elite athletes probably have a lot more experience and
races than the Juniors.
As a Ski orienteer, how did you live
those days at Hamar, last February? Did you expect such good results
[one gold, one bronze and a fourth place]?
A. A. - The Championships at
Hamar was my first international competition, so I didn’t know
where my level was compared to the other athletes. Therefore I did
not have many expectations beforehand. I was very excited before the
first competition, and to compete on home turf was extra fun. Even
though I didn’t expect good results, I sure thought about the
medals (and dreamed about the gold). After the Sprint distance, where
I did a very good race, I could lower my shoulders and just enjoy the
rest of the week. The Long Distance was for me a good race, and the Middle was most fun! I had never raced a Mass Start in SkiO before,
and I enjoyed the action and duels along the course. I really look
forward to this year’s Championships in Austria!
Can you detail the most significant
moments?
A. A. - There is one moment I
remember as one of the best. After finishing the Sprint, I was very
satisfied with my race. But I also knew I had lost almost 30 seconds
on the last short loop. I had an early start, so it took a while
before the result was final. I remember changing at the stadium after
my race and listened to the speaker talking about the split times.
After a while could announce that all the medals where won by
Norwegian girls, and that was a good moment I remember very well.
Was it a good preparation for the
FootO season? How did you “jump” from one discipline to another?
A. A. - Usually I focus only on
XC-Skiing during the Winter, and in April I start training towards
the orienteering season. This summer was one of my best seasons, and
that after I had competed more in SkiO than previous years. I think
the SkiO helped me to maintain the focus on the orienteering
technique, and of course both SkiO and XC-Skiing keeps my physical
shape good during the winter season. I believe that changing my focus
from one discipline to another when the season changes, makes me even
more focused and excited when the new season comes.
Does your teammates think that SkiO
and FootO are very compatible?
A. A. - Yes, they kind of
complement each other, so there is no problem doing both. But if I
add XC-Skiing to it all, then sometimes it’s a bit too much. It’s
important for me to plan well before the season's start, so the total
load doesn’t get too hard.
Let's put aside the SkiO for a
while, if you agree. When you reached the last month of July and the
JWOC, in Rauland, did you feel confident and well prepared? Was
running home again an extra-motivation? Tell me about your goals.
A. A. - I was well prepared
before JWOC in Rauland. I had been to Rauland and similar terrains
several times, and I knew it was a type of terrain that suited me
well. I felt confident before the Championships because the terrain
is one of my favorites and I knew I could run good races. Two weeks
before JWOC, the Norwegian team had a training camp with a lot of
good training, so I was also confident about my physical shape.
Running home was definitely an extra-motivation. I had a lot of
friends and family cheering for me at the arenas, and I must say it
helped a lot! I didn’t have any specific goals before JWOC, except
doing good races. In a Championships you want to prove how good you
are, and in order to do that, everything has to work out. And that
was my main goal!
That Middle Distance final was a
tight fight, the six first athletes separated by less than one
minute. Can you still feel the emotions of that day?
A. A. - Yes, a really tight and
exciting race! After the sprint, where I was 23rd, I lost some
self-confidence. It was a bad race technically, and my shape wasn’t
really good either. I began to doubt my physical shape and wondering
if my preparations had gone wrong. In the middle-distance
qualification I started out with only one goal: run a good technical
race. In my last JWOC in 2013, I ran a good qualification except for
two controls, and didn’t make it to the final. This time I knew if
I could finish without any big mistakes, I would qualify. I did a
good race and finished in 2nd place in my group. This made me believe
in myself again and I felt ready for the final. After the
qualification I believed that a podium (top 6) was possible if I had
a really good day. It turned out to be one of my best days, and I
completed a nearly perfect race. It took a while before I dared to
believe it when people told me no one could beat me. When I think
back at that particular day, it makes me smile, and I even get
goosebumps sometimes. And the emotions, I can definitely still feel
them!
When you put SkiO in one hand and
FootO in the other, which one is heavier? Why?
A. A. - I must be honest and say
that FootO is definitely the heaviest. Orienteering has been one of
my favorite sports since I was a kid, and I didn’t try SkiO until a
few years ago. I really like SkiO, but I spend more time practicing
Foot orienteering and therefore it is more important to me.
What are your most important skills
and what do you feel that you have to improve in the next times?
A. A. - I think my physical
shape is one of my most important skills. I am not a typical runner,
but because of all the Skiing I do, I train endurance a lot during
the winter and I get strong. I also think I am good at staying
focused and relaxed in competitions, and don’t let the nerves take
over. I have a lot of things I want to improve! Especially long
distances and orienteering in high speed. I also want to improve my
top speed, witch will help me in the Sprints.
Are you prepared for “jumping”
into the Elite?
A. A. - Oh, not quite yet I
think! I'm glad I have one more year left in the Junior class. But
of course I’m looking forward to it. I think I will learn a lot in
my first years in the Elite class, but still have goals and things I
want to improve before I do.
Have you some goals already designed
to 2016? How is the preparation season going to be?
A. A. - Yes I do, both national
and international. At home, my main goal is to have a good season
overall, and I’m aiming for a gold medal in the Norwegian
Championships. If I run good races in Norway, I will hopefully
qualify to JWOC where I don’t have any result goals yet. If I get
to compete in Switzerland next summer, my goal is to be in a good
physical shape. I know the courses will be real tough this year, and
I think the physical shape will be essential. And if I succeed
technically in the races as well, I will be really happy!
What's your biggest wish?
A. A. - That’s my little
secret.
[Photo courtesy of Anine Ahlsand]
Joaquim Margarido
