The national biathlon team intends to hurry slowly with Stina Nilsson and not throw her into the World Cup immediately - despite a change in the rules made it possible to participate there even if you lack biathlon merits.
- For my part, it feels pretty safe to know that I will have time to grow into it and that's all I want.
I feel that I have nothing to do in the big arenas and I want to give myself time to feel safe in the situation I end up in. I want to learn all the routines, says the former long-distance star, who changed sports this season, to TT.
Instead, Stina Nilsson will start her new racing career on Swedish soil.
But right now there are only two planned competitions in her calendar: the Swedish Cup in Idre on 14-15 November and in Boden before Christmas.
The IBU Cup, the level below the World Cup, has been postponed until after the turn of the year due to the pandemic and will not start until January 14 in Arber, Germany.
This means that the range of competitions is limited.
- My ambition is to compete a lot.
I hope there are competitions at home in the beginning that allow me to get used to what a competition day looks like.
Looking at the possibilities
Nilsson's personal shooting coach Jean-Marc Chabloz says that there are actually several races in the binoculars for her.
- We are trying to sharpen the program with a few more, as there will be an IBU Cup after Christmas.
An optimal solution is that we have competitions in Sweden.
It can be Swedish Cups or other competitions that we arrange a little more sporadically.
Even though we train every day, it is new to her and she needs to do it a couple of times before she is ready for the next step.
It is quite good to start here in Sweden, says Chabloz and continues.
- Hopefully she can be out at IBU Cups in January.
But at the same time, Stina needs to qualify to get there.
We have no bad women's team there either.
TT: How many competitions are there in Sweden before Christmas?
- Maybe the association can help in Östersund, among other places, to have competitions there that are offered for at least the seniors, possibly the juniors as well.
There will be a competition in Östersund that I know will be arranged as there is no IBU Cup.
Eight to ten competitions
The shooting coach, who will distance coach Nilsson this winter because he himself will travel with the Swedish World Cup team, currently does not know exactly how many competitions Nilsson will get together before the turn of the year.
However, the Swiss is hoping for a handful.
- Say that she can put together eight to ten competitions, that would be great.
It does not have to be Sweden Cup status or IBU Cup status.
Just doing an official thing.
That you have a shooting time and a starting time.
That you have your path, he says.
- I am sure that the association receives everyone who is interested in arranging something.
It is not just for Stina's sake, but for everyone who is during the IBU Cup and World Cup.
We need competitions for them to be able to move forward.