He made his debut in the world’s longest ski race. After 220km, Oskar Kardin sprinted to victory. Here, the Lager 157 Ski Team’s athlete talks about the challenge, the feeling of being first across the finish line, and the substantial energy replenishment plan, which included seven liters of sports drink and plenty of chocolate.

The 220km long-distance race Nordenskiöldsloppet is a significant challenge regardless of the weather conditions. But this year’s edition became even more challenging due to the weather conditions, with snowfall occurring practically throughout the race.

One of those taking on the race for the first time was Oskar Kardin.

“I had never skied more than 100 kilometers before. I’ve skied around Storsjön on roller skis, that’s 220 kilometers. But this was a real challenge. It was truly long, hard, and tough. The first 60 kilometers had some snow in the tracks, but then someone started grooming behind a snowmobile, and I picked up the pace a bit,” says Kardin, whose increase in tempo created a tight group of seven to eight skiers.

After that, “skiers dropped off” one by one, and when Emil Persson fell behind, it was “only” Kardin and Joar Thele left in the lead:

“We both tried to make a move, but in the last 15 kilometers, I understood it would come down to a sprint. I chose to stay in the slipstream until maybe 150 meters left. I noticed I got a small gap, but I didn’t dare to be sure of the victory until I crossed the finish line because even though I felt quite good sprinting, I was both tired and focused towards the end,” says Kardin to Langd.se.

How do you rate this victory compared to others you’ve achieved on the ski tracks?  

“Well, it’s among the better ones I’ve done. It’s up there with the victory, and some podium finishes in Ski Classics. But it’s cool to be first across the finish line in the world’s longest ski race. I would have liked to see this race included in Ski Classics.”

What was the feeding plan like? 

“We had a friend helping out with feeding. My plan was to consume 120 grams of carbohydrates per hour. I drank seven liters of sports drinks, ate twelve gels, five bars, ten chocolate balls, and some pastries. So, I’m not really craving sugar today,” says Kardin with a laugh.

How is your body feeling? 

“On Saturday night after the race, my whole body was sore. On Sunday, I was mostly tired and worn out. But I slept for eleven hours last night, so now I feel like a new person. The plan is to do a training session tomorrow (earlier this week). Then it’s “Åk en mil vinn en bil” on Friday and long-distance skiing in Røros on Saturday,” says Kardin.