Hanna Öberg

Hanna Öberg - Interview

Dressing in layers is for the hands too

- Hanna Öberg on adapting to conditions

Biathlon champion Hanna Öberg made a big splash at the 2018 Winter Olympics. An individual gold in long-distance skiing, topped by a silver in the relay, earned her both the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal and the Jerring Award. Since then, she has established herself in the elite ranks, racking up a long list of World Cup victories and podium finishes. This season, the goal is once again the Olympics.

“I think it's very nice already to have won those medals. It removes a lot of the pressure. Some might see it as me having a gold to defend, but for me it's quite the opposite. What I have won, no one will be able to take away from me. That way, I feel like I can ease up a bit,” says Hanna.

The mental aspect is very important in biathlon and Hanna Öberg believes that she is constantly getting better at handling the pressure.

“Some people work with mental coaching as a separate element, but for me it's a very integral part of the training. Every session I focus hard on shooting, I want to nail every series. Learning to maintain a high personal minimum is a natural part of getting into a routine. I'm good at getting into the zone.”

Hanna has been skiing with Hestra for several years, but in their collaboration has deepened over the past year. Not only does she wear gloves in the biathlon and roller biathlon, but also when cycling, both mountain biking and country road cycling.

“Whenever I can, I always choose gloves with an ergo grip, i.e., pre-bent fingers. I've had some problems with tendonitis in my fingers, which can occur if it too tight over the knuckles. Ergo grip for better circulation. I am very happy with Hestra’s gloves.”

Hanna rides in Women's XC Ergo Grip, but depending on temperature and weather, she may use extra layers both on the inside and the outside.

“The most important thing is not to get cold fingers. If it's below -7°C, I like to use a cover mitten, Biathlon Mitt, where you can remove the finger section when shooting. And if it's really cold, below -15°C, I like to go up a size and put on a liner glove underneath. I prefer this to a lined glove. Everyone knows the layer-on-layer principle for dressing warmly, and for me it applies very much to gloves as well.”