Sandra Naeslund on her wins and goals in SX

We sat down with Sierra Nevada 2017 World Champion and 2017/18 and 2019/20 SX overall crystal globe winner Sandra Naeslund (SWE) to catch up on her thoughts about last season, what the crystal globes mean to her and what’s in store for the FIS Freestyle Ski, Snowboard and Freeski World Championships in Zhangjiakou 2021.

What did the last season and the win of the second crystal globe mean to you? Can you say which crystal globe win was more important to you? And if so, why?

The globe meant a lot to me. It was a good fight during the whole season and I was really happy and proud to win the globe.

Both globes were important to me, just in different ways! It’s hard to compare them both but I would say the first one meant a bit more, however the second one is almost as important.

How did you handle the whole lockdown situation and the ongoing uncertainties of the Covid-19 pandemic after the season ended so abruptly?

We had it pretty easy with the lockdown here in Sweden compared to many other countries. So, I had a pretty good time. The ski season ended a bit earlier than normally but I got a few weeks of training after the finals before the ski resorts closed.

Going into a new season with World Championships in February, what are your main goals and focus points for the next season? Will another crystal globe be on the list of goals?

The World Championships are of course a big goal for the upcoming season, but I’m also looking forward a lot to the World Cup races in Idre (SWE). And yes, the globe will also be a big target again.

Do you prefer seasons with a big event like World Championships or Olympic Games, or do you prefer seasons where you can mainly focus on the World Cup? And why?

I like seasons with big events! The big events are cool to be a part of and I’m always looking forward to those races! But it’s also nice to just have the World Cup to focus on! You can just trust your skiing and take race by race and in the end the best skier will win the overall crystal globe!

What is it that you love most about your sport?

To ski the big and technical courses and the fact that four athletes are skiing together in the same course at the same time.

The 24-year-old ski cross champ is currently preparing for the next season, which will be kicking off in France’s Val Thorens with back-to-back races on December 04-05.

We can’t wait to see Naeslund back in action! You can find the complete Audi FIS Ski Cross World Cup calendar 2020/21 HERE.