Ida Eriksson, 23, from Malung, is today soon a fully trained civil engineer at KTH in Stockholm.

But in 2015, when she was in ninth grade and competed for Lima, she was a good biathlete - slightly better than Elvira Öberg even.

When it was applied for high school, it was therefore Ida Eriksson and Tilda Johansson (today in the national team) who got the two national sports high school places in Sollefteå, while Öberg became a reserve.

But Ida Eriksson changed her choice late, and instead took a place among the cross-country ski students in Torsby.

- I was a little scared to move so far from home, so therefore Torsby felt a little closer, only 45 minutes to mom and dad, says Eriksson when SVT meets her outside the Royal Institute of Technology.

Hesitant about the place

When Eriksson changed his first choice, Elvira Öberg was offered the RIG place, and despite some hesitation, she accepted it.

- I came into ski high school because another girl said no.

It's completely sick when you think about it now.

I was not as good as a young junior.

It was not a matter of course that I would keep going, or that I would bet.

Today I am very happy that I did, says Öberg.

Ida Eriksson spent the four years at the ski high school in Torsby but then chose to prioritize engineering studies before continuing her elite investment in skiing / biathlon.

The choice to go to high school will be a crossroads for many young athletes.

Those who come in continue to bet, but many who are not accepted end their bets already as 15-year-olds.

The question is how many talents did not have the same luck as Elvira and instead quit prematurely?

- You can not know if the one who is best when he was 15 will succeed or if it is the one who is a little worse.

It is very difficult, it is a bit early to choose your outcome then, says Ida Eriksson today.

"Almost a tear came"

In parallel with her studies, Eriksson has now followed her old "competitors" on TV and been impressed by what she saw this winter.

- It's great fun of course.

Since I have ridden myself, I may have a greater understanding of how difficult it is to hit, I understand the performance a little better.

It was almost like there was a small tear when Elvira secured the gold in the Olympic relay, Eriksson concludes.