Hanna Lodin secured her first-ever Ski Classics podium last Sunday. She now reveals that her main focus was actually on supporting her teammate: “Making Anikken’s journey to the finish line as smooth as possible.”

Hanna Lodin third place at Jizerská50

Hanna Lodin surprised many with her third-place finish in Jizerská50 this past weekend. But despite her impressive performance and new personal best in Ski Classics, there was another skier on Lodin’s mind—her teammate, Anikken Gjerde Alnæs.

Also Read: Team Engcon dominates Jizerská50 as Bruvoll and Gjerde Alnæs take the win

It was clear that Team Engcon had excellent equipment under their feet at Jizerská50 on Sunday. The Pro Team secured a total of four podium finishes across both the men’s and women’s competitions—an achievement that is difficult to pull off even with the best skiers in the squad.

“We had extremely good equipment. You could feel right away that we were going to have a very smooth race,” Lodin emphasizes and elaborates:

“I just wanted to make Anniken’s journey to the finish line as smooth as possible. Because she wanted a sprint finish“, says Lodin to Langd.se.

Team tactics play an increasingly important role

Lodin explains that she and Alnæs had a clear strategy for the race. Alnæs, whose sprint has been nearly unbeatable this season, was the one going for the win. Lodin’s role was to assist and support Alnæs as much as possible.

“We tried to communicate and help each other a lot. I knew from the start—and she had mentioned it earlier—that she wanted to win. And so, I wanted to set things up and help as much as I could,” Lodin says, clarifying:

“I knew that in the final stretch, she was the stronger of the two of us. She was the one with the best chance of securing first place,” says Lodin.

Even though Lodin played a clear support role, it wasn’t entirely a sacrifice on her part. She highlights that working with Alnæs is something that helps her develop as a skier.

“I think it’s really cool and fun. It’s also very educational to be able to help each other. It adds another dimension to skiing. So, it’s exciting to incorporate more tactical elements as well,” says Lodin.

Also Read: Gjerde Alnæs crushes Jizerská50 with sprint victory

There is no doubt that Lodin and Alnæs’ tactics were successful, as both skiers made it onto the podium—securing Team Engcon’s third and fourth podium finishes of the day.

Even though Lodin didn’t take the win this time, she is confident that more opportunities will come. And when they do, she’ll be ready—while still giving everything for the team.

It sounds like you got the most out of your team strategy.

“Yes, I think so,” says a confident Lodin.

Women’s finish at Jizerská50