Despite having world-class oxygen uptake and several strong finishes in the World Cup, he was cut from the national team after the 2023 World Championship season. For the past year and a half, he’s been competing on his own, organizing and funding his cross-country skiing career by himself.
On September 15, Imanol Rojo became the first-ever Spanish roller skiing World Champion when he in won the men’s 15-kilometer uphill mass start on the infamous Alpe Cermis in Val di Fiemme in Italy.
The 33-year-old came alone to the finish line in the brutal hill climb, nearly 10 seconds ahead of the next racer.
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First of all: How does it feel to be a World Champion?
"It’s really cool, and I’m super proud. Being a world champion is special, no matter what sport or event it’s in," Rojo says to ProXCskiing.com, adding that it was both unexpected and unplanned:
"It was actually by chance that I even signed up for the World Championships. My team asked if I wanted to come to Val di Fiemme to compete in the Marcialonga Running race as part of our relay team. Since I was already there, I decided to stay and train, and then I figured I might as well compete in the roller skiing World Championships too."
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Photo by: newspower.it
But just what happened here?
When Rojo was cut from the national team in 2023, he was faced with the toughest decision of his cross-country skiing career: either hang up his boards or find a different way to pursue competing at the highest level.
“It felt like being kicked in the face,” he recalls.
Rojo resolved to look for a way to pursue his skiing career. Last fall, he landed a contract with the elite program Team Coop Madshus based in Norway racing both on the World Cup and the Ski Classics circuits. And starting this May, he has been coached by Trond Nystad.
Nystad is the same coach who helped Didrik Tønseth get back on the Norwegian national team after being cut in 2021. He also coaches Emil Iversen, who was dropped from the team after the 2023 World Championships. Nystad was the head coach for Norway's men's cross-country skiing team from 2008 to 2016, and before that, he coached the U.S. national team.
Now, Nystad is part of the coaching team for the Norwegian pro team Aker Dæhlie. Since May, he’s also had Rojo as one of his athletes. In just four months, the Norwegian coaching legend has helped the Spaniard make huge improvements.
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Photo by: Nordic Focus
Fundamental changes
Coach Nystad went to work and made big changes to Rojo's training plan.
"First of all, he told me to leave my bike behind," Rojo says. "Before, cycling was a big part of my training routine. Now it's all about roller skiing and running, and I've done a lot more of that this year."
"He’s also changed the type of intervals I do. Now, I’m training with more controlled intensity, in two ways. I hold back a bit more, but I also make sure to stay at the right intensity. Overall, I’ve trained smarter and learned to listen to my body better."
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A huge milestone
These changes have already paid off in terms of results. And while winning a world championship is huge, but it’s just one important milestone.
"It shows that the work I’ve done this year with Trond Nystad is paying off, and it looks good for the winter season. It might even help me get more sponsors for my World Cup plans," Imanol Rojo says.
Now that you are a World Champion, what are your goals for the World Championships in Trondheim this winter?
"My goal is always to ski faster and improve my results each time. I finished 18th in the 50K race at the 2021 World Championships in Oberstdorf (Germany), so I hope to make it into the top 15 in Trondheim."
Photo by: Nordic Focus