Different Olympic conditions for the Swedish gold duo

February 28, 2021. Jonna Sundling keeps out of the riot and is received in the finish line in Oberstdorf by a jubilant Maja Dahlqvist.

Now the cross-country skiers are charging their best to pinch new gold in the next championship - the Olympics in Beijing in February.

Together with Ebba Andersson, Frida Karlsson and Linn Svahn, as well as Jens Burman and Oskar Svensson, Jonna Sundling can treat herself to a little relaxation - already in May she received the message from SOK that she has been selected for the Olympics.

- It feels great to have received an early message.

Especially when I have had a time during the autumn when things have not gone as planned, some sick days that interfere with training.

Had I not had this early message to go to the Olympics, it would have been a little tougher in a way.

Then I might have had to put the training puzzle in a different way to be in better shape earlier in the season, Sundling says to SVT Sport.

But for Sundling's gold partner Maja Dahlqvist, the conditions look different - she has not received any Olympic news - yet.

- I want to go fast and I want to go to the Olympics and I want to win the Olympics.

And if your goal is to win the Olympics, then you should be selected for the Olympics along the way, so it does not bother me that much.

Regardless of whether I had a place already or not, I would have liked to have had some receipts early in the season anyway.

Does it matter that you have to perform immediately or what do you think?

- Yes, so maybe you can look at it.

But it's like four sprints before Christmas and not so many times you get the chance to get four good races, so for us sprinters there will be fewer chances as well.

You want to get something good out of it even if you are selected or not.

There are slightly different conditions for the riders, some are pre-selected, some may have to perform early in the season already.

How do you reason about that balancing act?

- Yes, it is the case that those who are not selected, they will need to be in shape very early.

SOK wants us to nominate before Christmas, and then there are not so many World Cup competitions to play at.

It is Ruka, Lillehammer and Davos especially then that apply.

Then you have to perform.

It will be tough and you have to change the season a bit, maybe and be in shape then.