Cross-country skier Barbora Antošová is among the Czech sprinters who regularly score points. She is slowly gaining experience and achieving better results. She is the girlfriend of Swedish skier Truls Gisselman, a World Championship bronze medalist. How is their relationship working out, and what are Barbora’s future ambitions?

Born on September 7, 2000, in Jablonec nad Nisou, Barbora Antošová is one of the top Czech sprinters. For the past two years, she has been a consistent member of the national team and has competed in World Cups, primarily in sprints. She steadily earns points with regular top-30 finishes and has reached as high as 16th place.

Currently, she focuses mainly on sprints and team sprints. She hasn’t yet taken part in distance races, but she hopes to achieve better results in those events in the future. For now, her main goal is to consistently qualify and advance as far as possible through the heats.

Just a week ago, she joined the Czech national team for a training camp in Sognefjellet, Norway, where spring skiing conditions are excellent.

Barbora is in a relationship with Swedish skier Truls Gisselman, who has had a great season in the World Cup and earned a spot in the relay team at the World Championships in Trondheim, where they won bronze. Their partnership seems to be working well.

Let’s ask Barbora what it’s like to be in a relationship like this and how they help each other improve.

Does it bother you and Truls when people talk about your relationship publicly?
“No, it doesn’t. I think it’s fine. A few articles have already been published about us, so we’re not hiding it.”

It seems like Truls has improved a lot since you two started dating. Do you think you’ve played a part in that?
“That’s hard to say. He said it’s partly motivation to get into the World Cup. For us, Czech skiers, it’s a bit easier than for him. But yes, it’s motivating for both of us because we can meet at World Cups, spend some time together, and share experiences,” she says to Bezky.net and adds:

“Truls is very good at planning his training and is extremely motivated, so I probably don’t have much credit there. But we do support each other and share observations since we’re on different teams.”

Read More: Truls Gisselman shares his best roller ski training tips for summer

How different are the training systems in the Czech Republic and Sweden?
“The Czech team is increasingly adopting Scandinavian training methods, but there are still big individual differences because we don’t all follow the same training plan. Speaking for myself, I have less intensity in my training, and I probably need to increase it,” she says, adding:

“It’s hard to say how the Swedish women’s team trains. I don’t think the differences are huge. For example, they have different strength workouts, which is great for trying new exercises and sharing ideas.”

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I noticed that when Truls is in the Czech Republic, he sometimes trains with Czech skiers. Do you also train with Swedish women when you’re in Sweden?
“We each have our own training plans, but when Truls is here, he sometimes joins our guys, especially those who live nearby. For example, it’s good for Jirka Tuž. They can exchange experiences. Truls even visited Boží Dar and trained with Matyáš Bauer. When I was with Truls in Sweden, I joined the DSA (Dala Sports Academy) training group in Falun and trained with the women there, which is also a big motivation for me.”

Since you mentioned Jirka, what do you think of his recent success?
“It’s very motivating for all of us, especially for me. I know Jirka really well. We’ve trained together since we were kids in the same club, and it’s amazing to see him beat some big names. It feels great that someone from our ranks is showing it’s possible to compete with the elite. That’s really inspiring.”

Also Read – Jiří Tuž: A rising star with ambitious goals

Truls has already tried long-distance skiing. Are you interested in that too?
“One day I’d like to try Vasaloppet, but right now I want to focus on being a good sprinter and improving in distance races too. For now, I’m mainly focused on sprints. I want to get into heats more often and advance further and further. But yes, long-distance races could definitely be a big challenge for me in the future.”

What do you like about Sweden?
“I really like Sweden. I used to go there regularly in winter for training camps and races. Last summer was the first time I was there in the summer, and this year I went again in spring when there’s a lot of daylight. I enjoy Swedish food, and people in Falun are very kind. I’m happy to have the chance to spend time there from time to time.”

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