With one World Cup race and the Swedish Championship sprint remaining before the Swedish World Championship team is selected, Olle Jonsson is chasing the last sprint spot. “I need to do something extraordinary,” he admits.

Max Östlund, from Langd.se, catch up with Olle Jonsson shortly after lunch on Thursday. He was in Cogne, Italy, preparing for the World Cup races.

“No complaints here—beautiful mountains, great skiing, and good food. Add some high altitude to that”, he laughs.

World Championship Races

We quickly get into the fact that many of this year’s races have been held at altitude. Davos, Toblach, and most recently Engadin, where the altitude was around 1,900 meters above sea level. In Cogne, the valley sits at approximately 1,500 meters. Significantly lower, but still noticeable, and the risk of an altitude shock is always present.

“I incorporate altitude into my training. But honestly, I haven’t performed well at altitude. On the other hand, I usually feel good when I come back down”, Jonsson explains before continuing:

“The two World Cup events I’ve competed in so far haven’t been great. In Davos, I had to stay at low altitude and race at high altitude. Engadin was similar. I had five days to acclimatize, but it was still tough to race a sprint when not fully adjusted.”

My impression of Olle Jonsson is that he’s a glass-half-full person, always smiling. Today is no exception, says Max.

“It’s been tough, but that’s why it’s exciting to compete after having those ten-plus adaptation days people talk about”, Jonsson says enthusiastically.

How many days have you had now?

“One, two, three, four… eleven days”, Jonsson calculates.

So, two more to go then…

On Friday, team sprint was on the schedule. When Östlund interviewed Olle, the Swedish teams had not yet been announced.

“That means two more days, but I won’t be racing in the team sprint”, he adds.

Were you involved in that decision? Would you have wanted to race?

“If I had been asked, I absolutely would have raced. But I understand that there are others ahead of me. I haven’t taken my chances when I’ve had them in the World Cup this season.”

“I wouldn’t have picked myself either”, he laughs.

Read also: Cross-Country World Cup standings after Cogne

World Championship – Margins Are Getting Smaller

Olle Jonsson finished 44th in the sprint qualification in Davos, 6.8 seconds behind the dominant Johannes Høsflot Klæbo. He earned his World Cup spot with a second-place finish in the Smart Energy Cup in Idre the week before. In Engadin, he placed 50th in the qualification, 7.1 seconds behind Klæbo. Sprint qualifications are getting faster, and the difference between advancing to the final heats and an early exit is shrinking.

“It’s clear that I need to improve my prologue. I perform best in the heats. In national competitions, Scandinavian Cup, and Norwegian Cup, I usually step up”, Jonsson reflects.

He continued: “But it’s tough to pinpoint why. Lately, I’ve lacked the final push to maintain high speed throughout a prologue. Maybe I perform better in head-to-head situations with tactical accelerations and short maneuvers”.

Is it a mental issue?

“Racing two and a half or three minutes at max effort by myself has been a bit of a struggle since my injury.”

In a previous interview, Jonsson shared his recovery journey from an autoimmune nerve reaction in his shoulder.

“There are many possible factors, but I think it’s getting better. The margins are just incredibly tight. I was 1.3 seconds off in Davos and 1.4 seconds from the final heats in Engadin.”

Has the World Championship Train Left?

Olle Jonsson is chasing his ticket to the World Championships. He previously stated that he has the qualities needed to compete at that level.

“My peak performance is definitely good enough for the World Championships”, he said in the fall.

Is it do-or-die now, or has the train already left?

“I feel like I have nothing to lose now.”

“I think my chances of making the World Championship team are slim since the last World Cup sprint in skate has already taken place. Only the Swedish Championships remain before the World Championships, and it will be tough to turn things around”, he admits.

Despite repeated comebacks from injuries, Jonsson takes pride in making it back to the World Cup.

“I’m proud of coming back from my injury and fighting my way into the World Cup again. If it doesn’t lead to the World Championships, it’s not the end of the world. I’m just happy to be back and competing again.”

Jonsson will give his all in the upcoming races and at the Swedish Championships, but he knows it will be tough to convince Anders Byström and his team.

“It would take a miracle, but I think the World Championship train has already left”, he concludes.

Who Will Make the World Championship Team?

With only four weeks until the World Championship sprint, Anders Byström faces a tough decision. Some top contenders stand out, while the battle for the fourth spot remains wide open.

Who do you think should make the World Championship team for sprint?

“Oh, that’s tough. I don’t know if I should say, really. I have four guys in mind, but you’ll have to figure it out yourself”, Jonsson says.

Max says: “I list my candidates: Anger is a given, Grate has been strong but dealt with illness, Danielsson has performed well, and then there’s Häggström, Anton Grahn, and Oskar Svensson. But I think you could be one of them”.

“Yeah, absolutely. But I’d have to do something extraordinary. You got the right names, though”, Jonsson responds.

The Swedish World Championship squad will be announced at the Swedish Championships on February 8. That’s when conductor Byström will reveal who gets a ticket for Sweden’s World Championship train to Trondheim.