Now the biggest stars say the Swedish supertalent deserves a spot at the Olympics. But the bigger question is: What does Alvar Myhlback think?
“Alvar basically turned this sprint into his own little masterpiece,” says Erik Valnes. The 29-year-old, who already has Olympic and World Championship gold, had no doubts after watching the teenager race to third place in Granåsen.
“Of course, Alvar should go to the Olympics,” he says, elaborating on his statement.
“How many juniors have ever stood on a World Cup podium? The answer is: almost none,” Valnes tells Expressen.
On Friday, the Norwegian veteran lost his podium spot to the Swedish teenager. Even Johannes Høsflot Klæbo was only a hair faster in the prologue.
Clearly on Top — But His Next Move Is Uncertain
After three World Cup races, Alvar Myhlback is leading the U23 standings by a wide margin. He already has one World Cup podium and was the second-best Swede in last week’s sprint in Ruka, where he finished ninth. He also took 16th in the 10-kilometer race there.
Right now, he’s just enjoying it.
“It’s amazing. These are the moments you work so hard for. It’s just pure joy — hard to even put into words,” Myhlback says after reaching the podium.
What happens after this weekend’s races in Trondheim is still up in the air.
After next weekend’s World Cup stop in Davos, the Swedish national team will make another round of Olympic selections. So far, only Edvin Anger and William Poromaa have been officially confirmed on the men’s side.
Myhlback has been completely clear: skipping long-distance Ski Classics races for the World Cup is not an option.
The Olympics, though, run from February 6 through 22 — a stretch with no Ski Classics events.
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Photo by: Nordic Focus
“Nothing’s Changing”
The 19-year-old is staying grounded and focused on Ski Classics, even though he’s happy with what he’s achieved so far.
“It’s gone better than I expected. Since we’re between long-distance races, I didn’t really have any expectations at all,” Myhlback tells Langrenn.com.
He’s firm that World Cup races — traditional cross-country skiing — are mostly preparation for long-distance events.
So, what do these World Cup races mean to you?
“I’m competitive, so I give everything no matter what kind of race it is. But this isn’t where my real passion is.”
Meaning that long-distance racing is still your main focus?
“Yeah, nothing has changed.”
And nothing could change that?
“No — seriously, why would it?”
Myhlback gets a little annoyed when people keep asking whether he’s going to shift his focus toward traditional cross-country racing.
What about the Olympics?
“I take the World Cup one weekend at a time, and I’m racing every Ski Classics event. That’s my main goal this season.”
Do these World Cup races help you with long-distance skiing?
“Definitely. A lot of the best Ski Classics athletes are also strong in this type of racing. You need to be athletic. And I’m a skier, and I should be able to race anything without people questioning it.”
Making History in Granåsen
Whether Myhlback makes the Olympic team or not, the Swedish teenager has already made history in the World Cup.
According to Jørn Sundby of Viaplay, he is now the youngest skier ever to reach a World Cup podium. His third-place finish in the Granåsen sprint makes him the first teenager to ever do it.
Alvar Myhlback breaks the record set by Vladimir Smirnov, who was 20 years and 16 days old when he reached the podium in 1984. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo was 20 years and 35 days old when he did it in Ruka in 2016, and Petter Northug was 20 years and 61 days old when he did it in Falun in 2006.