The Pro Team athlete embarks on her fourth season with the Norwegian Team Næringsbanken Stora Enso. Despite a solid pre-season, a cold has disrupted her preparation for the Ski Classics season premiere.

Julia Angelsiöö is starting her fifth season in Ski Classics. After a previous year that didn’t go as planned, the training for this season has been the most enjoyable in a long time, and she is super motivated.

“The training has been going really well, and it’s been a while since I was this motivated. I’ve enjoyed training a lot and pushing myself hard,” says Julia to Langd.se.

One of the reasons for her renewed enthusiasm is a change in coaching.

“I’ve switched coaches, and it was super fun and motivating when something new happened,” she explains.

Have you focused on any specific areas for improvement during the summer and fall?

“Yes, I have. What I focused on the most this year is improving my speed, which has been my Achilles heel. I haven’t been fast enough, and it took a while for the diesel engine to kick in. We’ll see if it has yielded results,” she says.

Julia is a part of Team Næringsbanken Stora Enso and is entering her fourth season with the Pro Team.

“We’re a great group that has a blast together. It doesn’t feel like we’re just teammates, but real friends as well,” she explains.

After a strong pre-season, Julia caught a cold a week and a half ago. Despite feeling uncertain about her fitness, she is looking forward to kicking off the season.

“It’s going to be incredibly fun to start, and it’s the competitions we’ve trained for. However, I’m very nervous because I got sick and couldn’t train as planned. There’s uncertainty about my form,” she says.

What is your goal for the season?

“My primary goal is to achieve top 10 results. The competition is tough, and I had that goal last year as well. It didn’t go as planned, and I didn’t achieve it. That’s why I’ve pushed it forward by a year,” she concludes.

Read more: Swedish Sibling Pair to Compete for Team Ramudden in Ski Classics Season Opener

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