After 17 months away, Henning Sjökvist made his return to racing during the Swedish national team’s test event in Östersund.

In the 2023/2024 season, Sjökvist was one of the top Swedish athletes on the IBU Cup circuit, earning several top-10 finishes and finishing 22nd overall in the IBU Cup standings. But last season, the 27-year-old disappeared from competition.

For the past 17 months, Sjökvist has been struggling with facial pain that has puzzled doctors. It began with a common cold, but then his sinuses started causing problems. He has been living with constant pain in his head and face.

Back with a bib

Over the past year, the 27-year-old has gradually resumed training. The last time Henning competed was in March 2024, but last weekend he once again stood on the start line at the Swedish national team’s test race in Östersund.

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“I’ve done a few smaller test races before, but this was the first bigger one. I’ve been waiting a really long time for this,” Henning Sjökvist told Östersunds-Posten.

“A solid performance”

During the weekend’s competition, Sjökvist was in the fight for the podium during the pursuit race. After a few too many misses in the standing shooting, he eventually finished fifth.

“There are, of course, some things to improve, especially in the standing shooting, but overall it was definitely a solid performance today.”

The plan had initially been to make his comeback at the Swedish Championships in roller biathlon in Lima, but a cold put that on hold.

“I already felt I was at a decent level back then, but now I’m in much better shape than earlier this summer.”

The sinus problems persist, and doctors are still searching for the cause.

“I feel good now, but the pain is still there. I still get headaches and sinus pain. It works quite well during training, but in the evenings it can get tough,” he told ÖP in conclusion.

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