Last winter, Hanna Lodin had her breakthrough in Ski Classics with several top 15 results and second place overall in the Pink Youth competition. Now she talks about the first training camp with her Pro Team and looks forward to the upcoming winter.

During Season XIV, Hanna Lodin had her big breakthrough in Ski Classics, and when the season ended, she was on the radar of several Pro Teams. She finally joined Team Engcon and, during the first training camp together in June, received important feedback for the summer training.

“Among other things, Jerry (Ahrlin, Pro Team Director) recorded some training, and we went through it, so you got some feedback on which parts to focus on regarding technique and what weakness you have. Then I took that in and trained especially on those parts this summer. I think it has paid off,” says Hanna Lodin to Langd.se.

Read More: Started at 20 years old and last winter had a major breakthrough

Last year Lodin was part of Ski Team Göhlins, and after the transition to Team Engcon, she noticed the importance of her new Pro Team:

“There is a completely different financial and economic background in a larger team like this; you have resources in a completely different way. So that’s pretty much everything. You have a completely different support with you.”

Right training during summer

Hanna Lodin has had a good summer training season, and when it was time for the first roller skiing competitions, the results came immediately. There were two top-ten results in the two competitions during the Blink Festival.

“It went very well; it was great fun. You’re nervous when it’s your first competition; you don’t know how to stand and how it should feel, but I’m very satisfied with my results, and I think I got an indication that I’ve done a lot right this summer,” she says.

You had your breakthrough last season. Did you expect it to go so well?

“I don’t know; I knew I was close before, but maybe not that I would finish ninth at Vasaloppet and be consistent throughout the season. I wouldn’t have thought so. It went better than I had dared to believe.”

Have you set any goals for the upcoming Ski Classics Season XV?

“I hope to become a strong candidate for the Pink bib (Ski Classics Youth competition) and to fight for it. But also, to get better results.”

Lodin sees Karolina Hedenström (Lager 157 Ski Team), Ida Palmberg (Team Ramudden), and her teammate Tove Ericsson as the biggest competitors for the Youth bib.

What are you most looking forward to when the winter season starts?

“To continue to develop, to experience a lot of new things and just get to the start, have fun, and feel that you are in the right place. Having fun on the road is probably the most important thing.”

But before the winter season starts, the competition on roller skis continues. Lodin plans to race the entire Worlds Classic Tour and, after that, continue to race a few more roller ski races before the winter season starts.

Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XV (2023/2024)

• Event 1: December 9, 2023 – Bad Gastein PTT, Austria, 15km
• Event 2: December 10, 2023 – Bad Gastein Criterium, Austria, 35km
• Event 3: December 16, 2023 – La Venosta Criterium, Italy, 35km 
• Event 4: December 17, 2023 – La Venosta ITT, Italy, 10km
• Event 5: January 13, 2024 – Pustertaler Ski Marathon, Italy, 62km
• Event 6: January 20, 2024 – Engadin La Diagonela, Switzerland, 55km
• Event 7: January 28, 2024 – Marcialonga, Italy, 70km
• Event 8: February 11, 2024 – Jizerská50, Czech Republic, 50km
• Event 9: February 17, 2024 – Grönklitt Classic, Sweden, 50km
• Event 10: February 18, 2024 – Grönklitt ITT, Sweden, 12km
• Event 11: March 3, 2024 – Vasaloppet, Sweden, 90km
• Event 12: March 16, 2024 – Birkebeinerrennet, Norway, 54km
• Event 13: April 6, 2024 – Reistadløpet, Norway, 50km
• Event 14: April 7, 2024 – Summit 2 Senja, Norway, 60km
• Event 15: April 13, 2024 – Ski Classics Grand Finale – Janteloppet, Norway, 100km

For more updates and information about the Ski Classics Pro Tour, make sure to visit skiclassics.com.