Shortly before the World Cup opener: Shock news for biathlon star
Kontiolahti (Finland) - She had hoped that she would be able to compete in the World Cup in the new year, but now things have turned sour for the former Olympicbiathlonchampion: Linn Gestblom (30) has to miss the entire season.
As the Swede revealed to Aftonbladet, the biathlon year is already over for her before it has even begun. Not only will she miss the season opener on Saturday in Kontiolahti, Finland, but she will have to watch the whole time.
"Of course it was a process, but at the same time it feels good that I've now made the decision," explained the 30-year-old. It's a big weight off her shoulders, which are already badly damaged.
The suffering began for the Swede in February after the World Championships in Nove Mesto, after which she had to undergo a second operation on her left shoulder.
Initially, the rehabilitation process went as planned, but in the fall Gestblom was plagued by numerous infections and set her back in training.
Biathlon: Linn Gestblom already had to undergo two operations in the summer of 2023
But the operation also left its mark. "I want to give the shoulder a proper opportunity to recover, I don't want to make any compromises," said the biathlete.
The operation was not the first of her career; she had to undergo surgery on her left shoulder and groin for the first time in the summer of 2023.
"About six months ago, Linn had shoulder surgery, which first requires healing and then reconstruction in order to be able to perform at her best under very heavy loads. It's completely different from returning to a regular job," Sweden's team doctor Magnus Oscarsson made clear.
Gestblom won Olympic gold with the Swedish relay team in Beijing in 2022. At that time, however, she still went by her birth name Persson. She has been called Gestblom since the summer because she married her long-term partner, doctor Christian Gestblom.