Bianca Salming: – There is a lot of excitement

in several weeks Dagbladet has published a number of articles which highlighted weight problems in cross-country skiing and biathlon.

However, it is not only athletes who have similar problems in the two sports. In an interview with Swedish newspaper Expressen, match star Bianca Samling opened up about her issues with her weight.

She says she has struggled with balancing how to adjust her weight to perform at her best. She herself describes her weight problems as a roller coaster.

– You learn what to eat, but at the same time everyone is trying so hard to be light, and they seem to think an athlete should. I would say there is a lot of excitement. You’re walking around without clothes on, and you’re thinking: “Why don’t I look like that?” , Salming told Expressen.

She says she has gained a lot and gained a lot of weight. And before the European Youth Championship in Grosseto, Italy in 2017, she lost heavily. A choice means she can’t perform as well as she wants, she said.

The experience in Italy made Salming think again. She came home, relaxed and then gained a few kilos.

Four weeks later, she had her best jump in height ever.

She says the best decision she made was to stop weighing herself.

You have a brain injury if you think weight has a lot to do with performance. It obviously plays a role, but that’s not the key to everything, says Salming.

She believes it is important to listen to her body, and encourages other great athletes:

If you want to be the best, then everything is important, but you should not get caught up in stereotypes. Listen to your body and feel for yourself. Stop weighing yourself – that was the key to me and my brain. Start thinking about “what do I need”, rather than “what to remove”.