Cross-country skiing: “The culture of cross-country skiing is just incredible,” says Léo Guenin about Sweden
There are many ways to reach the top level. To achieve this goal, Léo Guenin of Switzerland has chosen a singular path. After growing up in Val-de-Ruz (Switzerland), in a very sporting family, he turned to cross-country skiing, quickly achieving convincing results.
After being selected for the Giron Jurassien, he joined the regional performance centre, where he achieved a number of good results: U14 champion in the French-speaking part of Switzerland and runner-up at U16 level. After finishing his studies in Switzerland, the 20-year-old cross-country skier moved to Luleå , Sweden, in the summer of 2023, and has been competing on the local circuit ever since. Léo Guenin looks back on his first two seasons in Sweden, and talks to Nordic Magazine. Interview.
- First of all, how did you discover cross-country skiing?
I come from a sporting family. My parents introduced me to lots of different sports, but not necessarily cross-country skiing. I’ve really had the chance to discover just about every sport you can imagine. I must have started around the age of 10-11. I immediately loved the feeling of sliding and being out in nature. I really liked the feeling of freedom and lightness.
- Why did you decide to move to Sweden?
I left in August 2023 with a real cross-country skiing project in mind. When I had to choose my career path, I had two choices. One was to go to a Swiss national performance centre and the other was to study business. I didn’t necessarily like that. I chose to go my own way with a CFC [a Federal Certificate of Competence], knowing that it was going to be a bit harder to reconcile my career choice with the world of cross-country skiing. I did those four years. I gritted my teeth, but I kept myself motivated so that afterwards I could give my all to the sport. The project really came together two years ago when I got my CFC and moved to Sweden.
- What differences did you notice when you arrived in Sweden?
There’s a cross-country skiing culture that’s just incredible. It’s a completely different way of doing things. Where I come from, selection takes place earlier. But here [in Sweden, editor’s note], almost all of them study until they’re 28. And even if they don’t play in the top rankings, they continue to fight. The Swedish cups are much tougher. We race in incredible stadiums, on real cross-country ski tracks, wide tracks that could really be World Cups. The cross-country skiing infrastructure is much more extensive. You can see that cross-country skiing has a really important place in people’s lives.
- Did you find it easy to adapt to this new environment?
I would say that there are two things that have not been easy for me. The first is all the travelling. In Switzerland, travelling takes a maximum of two and a half to three hours. In Sweden, four hours on the road is normal. It was difficult to grasp. And the northern climate too, with extremely long nights in winter. When you wake up, it’s pitch black. You go off to train and it’s slowly getting light. Then the sun quickly goes down at one or two o’clock. It wasn’t easy.
But we’re lucky enough to train in white landscapes with frosted trees and lots of snow. These things inspire me and motivate me throughout the winter so that I can keep on working when the going gets a bit tougher.
- How would you sum up your time in Sweden?
It’s really good, I’m very happy. After my first season, I had mixed feelings. I saw a lot of progress in the way I skied, the way I organised my days and the way I behaved as a skier. But in terms of results and performances, I wasn’t totally satisfied.
- Then this season, the results continued to improve…
I had some very good results. I put in a pretty incredible performance at the end of the season when I won bronze in the U23 10km classic at the Swedish championships [with the 11th fastest time overall, editor’s note]. It’s really my major performance of the year. I also qualified for the sprint in Falun (Sweden) in the Scandinavian Cup. It’s incredible when you know the level. I think I’ve taken a good step forward in terms of progress, technique and race management. I’m really happy, it’s a very positive result.
- What are your goals for the future?
My dream and long-term goal is to become a real professional and join the Swiss team. I want to race in the World Cup and the Olympics. In the short and medium term, I’d say my objective is to continue to progress and enjoy what I do.
