Jerry Ahrlin leaves his position as a Pro Team Director in the successful Ski Classics Pro Team Team Engcon. 29-year-old Norwegian Jørgen Ulvang replaces him. “It’s an exciting challenge,” says Ulvang.

We are in the middle of Ski Classics Season XVI’s Silly Season, and it is clear now that the solid Swedish Team Engcon will undergo changes.

The 29-year-old Norwegian Jørgen Ulvang, a coach and leader in Team Engcon during the last season, will now take the step to become Pro Team Director. He succeeds Jerry Ahrlin (an interview with Jerry can be found here).

“I’ve been to both camps and most of the races during the last season, so I know the skiers well. But now I will be responsible for the whole organization; it feels like a very exciting challenge,” says Ulvang to Langd.se.

Which parts do you want to work extra on for the coming winter?

“Firstly, it’s about continuing to work with the system we worked with during the past season. Then, I am passionate about training and health. I’ve been an active skier in the past, I’m very interested in technique and working as a physiotherapist. So, working both with the skiing and the health aspects and having skiers who ski as well as possible technically is very important for the final result. Ski selection and waxing are very important parts of running a team. A lot of time goes into it, and that’s how it will be for me, too. Then I would perhaps say that waxing and testing is a little too big a part of the role, but it is undeniably very important,” says Ulvang, who ended his elite training three years ago.

But he still maintains a very high level.

At Flyktingrennet at the end of March, he was placed behind Max Novak in the challenging long race on the border between Sweden and Norway.

Also Read: Pro Team athletes dominate Ski Classics Challengers Flyktningerennet

“I indeed train a lot, so I can keep up with some sessions if I have better skis than the ones I ski with (and laughs). But of course, it’s an advantage to keep up with training sessions and work on technique, for example.”

The name Ulvang breathes skiing, to say the least. 

Jørgen’s uncle Vegard has three Olympic gold medals and two World Championships gold medals:

“When the Ulvang family gets together, 90% of the conversation around the dinner table is about skiing. He has followed me closely, and we discuss training a lot.”

What parts of your coaching role have you taken from Vegard?

“Many of those who have been at the absolute highest level tend not to do things as complicated as others do. And so, prioritize what is really important and tone down the marginal factors. We will start by tackling what is most important first when we meet at the first camp with Team Engcon in June,” says Jörgen Ulvang.

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