By Johan Trygg
Ida Dahl, Team Ramudden, won the Youth competition for the second year in a row, also finishing second in the overall Champion competition behind her teammate Lina Korsgren.
“I’m very satisfied. The goal was to get on the podium once; my results really surpassed my expectations,” says 25-year-old Ida Dahl.
In Season XI, Dahl also finished third in both Visma Alp Trophy and Visma Nordic Trophy. She was second in the Sprint competition behind Korsgren and third in the Climb competition behind Korsgren and Emilie Fleten, Team Koteng. Dahl’s strong season, of course, also contributed to Team Ramudden’s victory in the Pro Team competition.
This is Ida Dahls placements in Season XI’s eight events: 4,2,3,2,3,7,3,4.
What do you say about your season?
“I’m very pleased. I have been very even and stable and have been able to perform even in the races where it didn’t really feel that good.”
How did you experience Årefjällsloppet?
“It was tough with almost six hours of racing. When you were first in the group, the snow was so slow, but I think we worked well together in the leading group. It was a nice race.”
“When Kardin caught up with us, it became a new part in the race. Emilie (Fleten) got away on the back of his skis for a while, but I managed to catch up again. In the end, it became tough mentally. When the second group of men came, I really struggled, and in the end, I couldn’t follow Thea (Krokan Murud) in the fight for third place.”
What are your plans for the near future?
“I will take it easy, just enjoy and hopefully get some nice trips on skis in the mountains. I’m also looking forward to meeting my family.”
Ahead of next season, Dahl has plans to slow down somewhat in her engineering studies.
“The idea is not to study full time, but it also feels hard to slow down. At the same time, I want to take advantage of my skiing career. I will think a little more about this,” says Dahl.
What do you say about your development as a long distance skier?
“I couldn’t predict this when I stepped into Visma Ski Classics two years ago. However, you get used to it quite quickly. It’s important to enjoy the moment.”
Before this season, Ida, just like Lina Korsgren, started training under a new coach, Mattias Reck. Something that obviously worked well for both of them.
Will it be possible to increase the amount of training?
“Absolutely, but it’s important to listen to your body. I think Reck is very good about this matter. He always says it’s important to get some rest after tough training and let the body respond.”
Something specific you should focus on ahead of next season?
“I need to be faster and more explosive. That is the key to taking further steps,” Dahl concludes.
