The 29-year-old from Tjörn, Sweden, has set a personal best in Ski Classics this season. Now Alfred Buskqvist explains the changes behind his success.

Alfred Buskqvist is in his fourth season with Team Ramudden and Ski Classics. In his first seasons, he focused on the Green Sprint bib, but this year he has focused on the overall standings.

Before this season, his best result was seventh place. He improved to sixth place at Jizerská50.

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Success with new coach

Ahead of this season, he made several changes to his training.

“There have been some changes for me this year. I have been with the same team for many years, but this year I have Mattias Reck as my coach. In previous years, I handled my own training. We started working together this summer, and it has been really fun,” says Alfred at the Ski Classics Live Sessions earlier this week.

Mattias Reck now helps him with a structured training plan. Previously, he coached himself.

“There is a lot that is different. It has been fun and motivating to follow someone else’s plan. It is the first time in a long while. One of the biggest changes is putting the plan first. Before, I had a lot going on and had to adapt training around everything else. Now I just let Mattias set the plan, and then we see what I can fit in outside of training.”

Changes in daily life

At the same time, Alfred has made major changes in his everyday life.

“I have changed a lot in my life. We moved from Östersund, and I quit my job after 6 years. I worked at the National Winter Sports Center, a testing facility in Östersund. This year, I have had almost nothing to focus on except skiing. That has also been a big change.”

Team shutting down

Next year will bring another major change for Alfred Buskqvist. After Vasaloppet, Team Ramudden announced that it will shut down after being part of the circuit since 2018. This means he will need to find a new team if he wants to continue in long-distance racing.

“It is sad, of course. It has been four fantastic years with Gustaf and Lina leading the team. They are great at building a group and selecting people who fit well together. Everything around the races has also been fantastic all the time,” he says, and continues:

“At the same time, I understand why they are doing it and that it is time for changes in their lives. Personally, I hope to continue in long-distance racing. Hopefully, another team wants to have me on board. We will see after the season,” he concludes.

Read More –Team Ramudden: Swedish powerhouse Pro Team to shut down

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