Comet Irene Kvandal jumped from the pain: – It was like landing on stilts

VIKERSUND (VG) Erin Kvandal (21) took the show jumping world by storm three winters ago. Then she fell and left the ground on a stretcher. Now she may be on her way back to the top.

Mosjøen’s eldest daughter won her second World Cup race. Two weeks later, she suffered a serious knee injury, and both the 2021 World Cup and 2022 Olympics were cancelled.

– She probably has the greatest ability of our girls. Erin was born a skater! She outperforms many jumpers in speed at the edge of the jump, says show jumping director Klaas Brede Braathen – before adding.

– But she had a checkered career with long breaks due to injury. This is the first winter she feels she can properly compete again. But we are careful with it. For the toilet in Trondheim in 2025, this is the big goal. But I think she can really fight for wins now.

Irene Kvandal showed it already a few weeks ago: then she won the King’s Cup after beating Plastic in Midstoua.

– She says: – I’m taking steps and I’ve built a lot of confidence in the ground this summer, so I’m really looking forward to winter.

-Is it about safety?

– Yes, it’s about jumping as best as you can. I spent last season coming back down to earth.

– Is there a lot on your mind after the dramatic fall in 2021?

– Yes, there was a lot on my mind, but now I think it’s okay and I’m enjoying myself on the floor. It wasn’t like that at first. When you come back injured, it takes some time before you can build safety for yourself and everything around you.

Here you see the situation:

-You’re not afraid of landing?

– no!

Kvandal is happy that national team coach Christian Meier and his teammates carefully matched her to the slower pace last season:

-We could have driven at full speed and gotten the results. But the coaches gave me time. I’m pround of it. And this year I’m ready for more!

– It must be hard to wait?

– It wasn’t easy, no. It didn’t happen! There have been many people who have opinions about this. But I’m very satisfied that we stuck with it. I am fully convinced that this is the right way to do it.

Erin Kvandal first suffered from back pain, then came a knee injury and last winter it was severe pain in her legs.

She says it was like landing on stilts.

– You become unsure and go for a landing early – and then you get hurt more. It’s a tiring spiral.

– but now?

– Now I can jump far without feeling pain. Now I can’t wait to finally show what I’m good at!