She had done two “half seasons” in Ski Classics. Now in her first full season, Karolina Hedenström won the Pink Youth bib and got to step on the podium at Jizerská50.

“If the season turned out as I hoped? No, much better,” says Karolina Hedenström, the Lager 157 Ski Team athlete.

Karolina Hedenström made her first start in Ski Classics in January 2021. There were four long-distance races during that winter. And the same number during the coming one as well. In the last two, she made it into the top ten for the first time (eighth at the Årefjällsloppet and ninth at Ylläs-Levi).

But the 22-year-old Karolina Hedenström had her big breakthrough during Season XIV, which ended last weekend.

After the opening weekend in Bad Gastein, she wore the Pink Youth bib and never let it go. It hasn’t even come close to being the case, as the margin to runner-up Hanna Lodin, Ski Team Göhlins, was a whopping 724 points:

“I have had a stated goal for the Pink bib all season. To be able to succeed in that, it is a prerequisite to stand at the starting line in race after race. I have done that, and it was fantastic to have secured the overall victory in the battle for the Pink bib even before the final weekend,” says Karolina Hedenström.

Has the season been as you imagined?

“No, it has been much better. This both with the solid level I have maintained and then the highlight at Jizerská,” says Hedenström.

During the challenging day in the forests around Bedrichov, Karolina Hedenström got to step on the podium in Ski Classics for the first time.

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With a smile, she was able to overcome the challenge and finish second in one of the season’s four Grand Classics races:

“I don’t work so much with performance goals, and it doesn’t feel like I’m driven by it either. It was great to finish Jizerská50 and feel like I had done the work leading up to that performance. The strongest memory is not standing there on the podium, but it was out on the track that I experienced the most intense emotions,” says Hedenström and continues:

“Then I was surprised that I made it to the podium so early, but that’s clear; I work to try to stand at the top of the podium. And eventually to be the best.”

What do you want to develop for the coming season?

“Everything. No, that was a boring answer. I want to get stronger and faster. That’s what I’m going to lay a foundation for now.”

The Season XIV of Ski Classics Pro Tour consisted of 14 events on 10 event weekends in 6 different countries. 

Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XIV (2022/2023)

• Event 1: December 10, 2022 – Bad Gastein PTT, Bad Gastein, Austria, 15km
• Event 2: December 11, 2022 – Bad Gastein Criterium, Bad Gastein, Austria, 35km
• Event 3: December 17, 2022 – La Venosta Criterium, Val Venosta, Italy, 36km 
• Event 4: January 14, 2023 – Pustertaler Ski Marathon, Sexten, Italy, 62km
• Event 5: January 15, 2023 – Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge, Niederdorf, Italy, 32km
• Event 6: January 21, 2023 – Engadin La Diagonela, Engadin Valley, Switzerland, 48km 
• Event 7: January 29, 2023 – Marcialonga, Trentino, Italy, 70km
• Event 8: February 12, 2023 – Jizerská50, Bedřichov, Czech Republic, 50km
• Event 9: February 18, 2023 – Grönklitt Criterium, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 50km
• Event 10: February 19, 2023 – Grönklitt ITT, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 12km
• Event 11: March 5, 2023 – Vasaloppet, Sälen-Mora, Sweden, 90km
• Event 12: March 18, 2023 – Birkebeinerrennet, Rena-Lillehammer, Norway, 54km
• Event 13: April 1, 2023 – Reistadløpet, Setermoen-Bardufoss, Norway, 40km
• Event 14: April 2, 2023 – Summit 2 Senja, Bardufoss- Finnsnes, Norway, 67km

More information about the Ski Classics Pro Tour you can find at skiclassics.com.