Frida Karlsson Waits for a Bronze Medal: "Relief"

Frida Karlsson had a challenging competition at the World Championships in Trondheim, where she found herself quite early in the race trailing behind the leaders in the quest for a gold medal. Nevertheless, she persevered and ultimately clinched a bronze medal against the odds in the 10 km classic race.

After she crossed the finish line, Karlsson faced an anxious wait of eight minutes before she learned that Teresa Stadlober had not finished in time to claim a medal, crossing 2.9 seconds behind Karlsson's time. Stadlober benefited from a late start that allowed her to race after the snowfall had ceased.

Leading the race at the 4.7 km mark was Stadlober, who had a lead of three seconds over Therese Johaug and 4.5 seconds ahead of Ebba Andersson, while Karlsson was positioned fifth, 15.3 seconds behind Stadlober.

Karlsson expressed her relief upon securing the bronze, acknowledging that the difference between finishing fourth and third was significant. "It felt like a relief, and there's a massive difference between being fourth and third," she stated.

Karlsson also mentioned her teammate Ebba Andersson’s gold medal win provided a boost of energy for the team and conveyed a sense of camaraderie as they supported one another through the challenge of the championships.

In the last stretch, with only 800 meters to go, Karlsson was trailing Stadlober by 7.6 seconds. However, she excelled in her final push, demonstrating that she had saved her best performance for the finish. "That was an important mental battle I fought against myself, and I’m thrilled with the outcome," she noted during the evening’s press conference.