Biathlon: Young Talent Elsa Tängland's Decision for the Winter

Biathlon: Young Talent Elsa Tängland's Decision for the Winter
Elsa Tänglander, 17, is an exceptional talent. She belongs to the world elite in her age group in both cross-country skiing and biathlon. Now she reveals her plans for the upcoming winter competitions.

"I want to compete in both as much as possible," Elsa Tänglander told SVT Sport.

Elsa has won a Youth Olympic gold medal in cross-country skiing and a Junior World Championship gold in biathlon—a unique combination that no one else has achieved. This past spring, when selecting a national team group to join, she chose the biathlon national team. This winter, however, she wants to compete in both disciplines.

"I want to compete in both as much as possible. One of my major goals is the Junior World Championships in biathlon in Östersund, so it makes sense to focus on biathlon beforehand," she explained.

Ongoing Contact with Cross-Country
Although she chose to be part of the biathlon national team, she still maintains contact with cross-country skiing.

"I've met with the junior coach there and discussed what I need to do to qualify for bigger competitions, so I have good contact," Tänglander mentioned.

First, Elsa aims to compete in the Swedish Bauhaus Cup for cross-country skiing but dreams of racing internationally as well. In biathlon, she hopes to participate in the IBU Cup, a plan strongly supported by her coaches.

"They are very supportive and are helping me create a good plan for the winter," Elsa stated.

She plans to attempt both disciplines for as long as possible but acknowledges she will need to make a choice once she graduates high school in about two and a half years.