The Beijing Olympics were, to say the least, successful for William Poromaa, who left the championship with several fine places.
- I am very happy of course.
I do races like I have never done before and go faster than I have done before, Poromaa told SVT Sport last Saturday.
This weekend, he showed that his form holds when he finished third in the 15-kilometer classic in Lahti, Finland, and took the first podium of his career in the World Cup.
Trying to support each other
It's harder for his girlfriend Frida Karlsson.
The Swede collapsed during the Olympics and was eventually stopped from driving the three miles.
In the ladies' 10 kilometer classic in Lahti, she finished in 16th place and said herself after the race that "the head wants more than the body can handle".
When asked how the couple handles the situation, Poromaa answers:
- It's just trying to be there for each other, there is not much else.
I think she is very happy today instead, even though it has been a little harder for her.
It's always upside down and you have to reckon with that.
"Cruelly motivated"
Poromaa is looking forward to the rest of the season, which includes competitions in Holmenkollen and Falun, among other places.
- I feel terribly motivated and will do everything I can the rest of the season now.
I did not go to much World Cup in the beginning so I am tagged to compete.
People are starting to get a little petty after the Olympics, so then I will be there and chop all the time.