A year ago, he was sidelined by the Swedish national team. But thanks to a strong winter, he returned to the blue and yellow squad. Next weekend, the 31-year-old will start the winter competition season.

It came as a surprise a year and a half ago. When the Swedish national team was presented in May 2022, Johan Häggström’s name was missing. The Piteå Elit skier could then look back on an Olympic Games where he was thirteenth in the sprint, 21st in the 15-kilometer race, and skied the final leg of the relay where the Swedish team finished fourth:

“I was, and to some extent still am, disappointed about that, even though I have put it behind me. I have tried to look forward and make the best of the situation. It’s always the case with team selections where you think differently, and it’s tough to be ‘on the wrong side.’ But it felt odd with their choice given that I had such a good Olympic Games,” said Häggström when Langd.se spoke to him just over a year ago.

But he made it back to the Swedish national team; this after a season that started with some hip problems towards the premiere in Bruksvallarna, which meant that he was outside the World Cup team for Ruka. 

But he broke in through solid efforts during the Smart Energy Cup races in Idre, Sweden, and then he was in for the World Cup and World Championships. 

He finished fifth in the Tour de Ski sprint in Val di Fiemme, and he raced two individual distances (sprint and 15 kilometers) and a relay at the World Championships in Planica. Sixth place was his best finish there. When this year’s national team was presented, one of the names was Johan Häggström, Piteå Elit:

“I had very good conditions even last year with Piteå Elit and Team Elon, but of course, I want to be in the national team. There are advantages, not least regarding the support and the training you get at camps. It is perfect to see how I stand against the others in the team. Then you notice a lot of young blood in the team. It looks good for the future,” says Häggström when Langd.se met him at the national team’s media day in Stockholm.

What answers do you want from the competitions in Gällivare?

“I want to show that I am competitive. It is, as I said, high level in the entire men’s team now, and it is a good level check now to see how I stand against Wille and Calle (Poromaa and Halfvarsson) in the distance and against Edvin (Anger) in the sprint. Then I would say I am calm because I know how to prepare for Gällivare even if I aim to improve my form in Ruka.”

You have run championships in sprint and distance; what is your central distance?

“Sprint is where I have the best opportunities to be at the very top. I aim to be on the podium in the World Cup this winter. At distance, I can be among the top ten in a 10km race if everything goes as it should,” says Häggström.

Are you interested in traditional cross-country skiing? Click HERE and read more.