The first full season in the World Cup was a success for the 20-year-old who took three individual victories, one more podium and won the sprint cup.

- I am very proud that I held such a high-level season throughout, that I found a system that works for me so that I could perform weekend after weekend, she says in a telephone interview.

- I am very sure what to do to succeed and do not thump it even though others around have had a slightly different view and want to pull in another direction. I am very much driven by having the ball myself and I know what I need to do to be even sharper and faster.

You sound like you do like Stina Nilsson, who also always goes her own way.

- I've heard it before and it feels very cool because she is a unique character and skier. Of course she has been inspirational, but the way of thinking - the traits that are a bit similar between us - has always been with me. Before I knew who Stina Nilsson was, Svahn says of the sprint star who has now left cross-country skiing for biathlon.

- It will be sad not to be able to match her in the future. But I'll keep the banner high anyway.

Now Svahn is relaunching for a World Cup season - in Oberstdorf in February-March.

- That is really the main goal. I have no international qualifications from championships, but now I work on them.

When asked what to grind for next season, she answers a little evasive.

"It's a bit of a mystery, I want to keep it to myself and limit who can take part in the innermost goals," she says.

- But there are no dramatic differences in training, there are some details. I am young and getting another year of good exercise in the body will make me take further steps. I have a big development drive and in combination with an extremely strong winning skull I think is a good concept.

Svahn is still focused on sprint skiing.

- It is important to take one step at a time and then it is to consolidate the position I have in sprint and maybe grind on it further and become even sharper. I believe that this, in turn, can lead to me, with another year of training in the body, will develop on more levels.

She was given a few more weeks off than planned because the season was canceled just before the final race due to the corona pandemic. Now she is aiming to start next season on May 1st.

- Now I'm preparing to be 100 percent then. Then work on the new season begins. There will be camps, both my own and my own, and elsewhere. It may be different from previous years regarding the current state of the world. But the job should be done every day, regardless.

The training is primarily done at home in Östersund.

- It's clean here, I see no reason to leave.

ARCHIVE: Svahn: "Climbed out the window to train" (March 27, 2020)

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