Annika Billstam – woman for the big occasion

Annika Billstam – woman for the big occasion

From time to time Annika Billstam is asked if she’s coming close to retirement from sport at high level. The Swede has made very big changes in her life, but is still a woman for the big occasion.

When the Swede won the Middle she got her second individual gold. She also won the Long Distance in 2011. “This achievement is at least as big as the previous one”, she says. “I’m getting older and I have been asked if I’m going to stop”. The 38-year-old athlete smiles. She has proved her level.

Annika didn’t have a good start in the race. At the first control she lost about 25 seconds. She got a bit stressed. “The beginning of the race was a nightmare”, she says. On the third control she lost about the same. “I ran on to a road and ran along it for too long”.

After that she had an amazing race in the very tricky hills, with a lot of challenging orienteering, 1500 to 1700 metres above sea level.

Photo: Newspower.it

The dark evenings

Annika had to think a bit before she went for this season at top level, because she started to work full-time last October. Due to that she also put all her concentration on doing well at WOC, and she didn’t take part in the European Championships in Portugal.

– How is it to combine full-time work and sport on high level? It can’t be that easy all the time?

“When I am coming home at five o’clock in the evening during winter time, and it’s dark and 10 minus degrees, I have wondered why I am going on, but occasions like the Middle Distance give so much pleasure”.

Three good weeks

Ahead of these Championships in Italy, she really had ideal preparation. She spent three weeks in Passo Roll at high level, about 2,000 metres over sea level.

Her standard is very high, but she thinks it’s not so easy to say how it is compared to when last she won an individual title, the Long in France.

Learning a lot from Thierry

At WOC 2011 it became public that she and Thierry Gueorgiou were partners. They live together in Uppsala.

– What are you learning to him?

“A lot. It’s just an inspiration to see how he approaches his sport”.

WOC on home ground

In two years’ time Strömstad in Sweden is the venue for the World Championships.

“Maybe” she says, and is just smiling. Her future in sport is not decided, but if she’s wants it she has a free place in the Middle Distance in Scotland next year.

The Middle Distance was the last individual race at these Championships in northern Italy. It was in Campomulo, close to Asiago. The women’s race had 16 controls with a course length of 4.9 kilometres. During the race the estimated climb was 220 metres.

The final competition is the Relay. The stadium is the same as for the Middle race – in Campomulo.