Sweden took double medals in the sprint at the Junior World Championships. Both Anton Grahn and Jonatan Lindberg compete regularly in IFK Mora’s colors. Here, high school ski coach Rikard Tynell talks about the medal duo’s path to the podium in Planica.

Rikard Tynell, as is well known, has a solid background as a long-distance skier. In 2014, he took the biggest victory of his career. This was when he became the inaugural winner of the Engadin La Diagonela after a thrilling solo race.

He ended his elite commitment in 2019 and has since worked as a coach. And now, for a few years, at the ski high school in Mora, Sweden.

One of the students he works closest with is Anton Grahn, who last year became the Junior World Champion in the sprint. However, during the season’s start (October to December), Grahn had to stay away from the ski tracks. This was due to a stress fracture:

“I came back from my paternity leave around Christmas. Anton listened to his body and quickly slowed down his training when he began to have problems and has managed his rehabilitation plan very well. Then, it’s hard to know how long-lasting that type of injury will be,” says Tynell to Langd.se.

Are you surprised that Anton manages a new Junior World Championship medal considering the adjustments he needed to make?

“No, I can’t say that. From the time we could start training again on snow, everything has gone well,” says Tynell.

And it was an exciting day for the ski high school students in Mora. This was when Grahn’s club mate in IFK Mora, Jonatan Lindberg, took the bronze:

“I don’t work as closely with Jonatan as with Anton, but what you’ve seen during the last season is that he has made significant progress, especially in distance. He has always been outstanding in sprint.”

How do you at the ski high school follow the competitions from Planica?

“On Monday, we had a theme day with our work group, but we paused it for the sprint, haha. It’s fantastic to follow the students we have there. It’s impressive for the students who get the chance to go to the Junior World Championships to experience the atmosphere and gain experiences for the future and to their colleagues here at home. And those who get the chance to go there wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for all the training partners they have here at home. That partnering is incredibly important for development,” says Rikard Tynell.

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