Tuesday Talk with Mari Leinan Lund

Overall World Cup third Mari Leinan Lund joined this week’s Tuesday Talk.

Coming off the most successful season of her career, which included her first Individual World Cup victories, her journey took a challenging turn with a season-ending injury at the Trondheim finals.

As the 25-year-old works toward recovery, she reflects on the highs of her past season, the obstacles she’s overcome, and her hopes to compete in the upcoming World Championships on home soil in Trondheim.
The Norwegian shares her experiences with injury, her friendship with teammate Ida Hagen, and the excitement about the historic strides in women’s Nordic Combined.

The last season was the most successful of your career but ended dramatically. Have you nevertheless been able to take some positives out of the experiences last winter?
Oh yes, I have many positive experiences from last year! Despite a bad ending, it was my best and funniest season so far, and I would not be without it. 

You went through rehab during the summer. How is your training going and are you able to compete at the season opening in Lillehammer? 
I’m still in rehab, and everything before Christmas is a “no” for me.

As mentioned before, last season was incredibly successful for you including your first ever World Cup victory in Oberstdorf. How did it feel to finally claim that victory after so many third and second places before?
It was amazing! My shape was getting better during Christmas, and I remember that I felt good, and really nervous, during the whole day. It was extra special that my first victory took place in Oberstdorf, where I got my first ever podium, at this level, in the WSC in 2021.

Overall winner Ida Hagen is not just your biggest opponent but also your team mate. Is it a challenge or an advantage to compete against a friend?
It’s definitely an advantage! We have different strengths, and the fact that we can train together, and learn from each other, makes us stronger as athletes. It’s also nice to be such good friends, when we are spending so much time together on training camps, and competitions during the season.

The upcoming WSC in Trondheim are the season highlight. How are you dealing with the situation that it’s a home championship for you but also the venue where you got injured last season?
The championship in Trondheim is something that I’ve been looking forward to for many years already. When I fell at the end of the season last year, it felt like something inside of me broke - not only my knee, but also my heart and dream for the next year. At that moment, I thought that the championship would be impossible to reach. Maybe it still is, but it’s also a hope that I’ll make it. I’m at least doing my best every day to get back stronger. If my knee is strong enough, and I feel ready to compete in the championship, it won’t matter that this was the hill I got injured in. If I’m ready, I’m all in!

You won the silver medal at the WSC in Oberstdorf 2021. What goals have you set for yourself for the championships this season?
My goal this year is first of all to have a strong and healthy rehabilitation. If I’m ready to compete in Trondheim, my goal is to deliver on a high level.

With the World Cup large hill premiere in Oslo, women’s Nordic Combined will reach another milestone. What does it mean to you to know that you are making history and paving the way for future generations with your sport?
I’m really glad that we finally get to compete in the large hill, and it's so cool that the first competition will take place in Oslo, together with all the other athletes who are also competing that weekend. I’m not sure if I'll be able to compete due to the injury, but I’ll definitely be there cheering for all the other Nordic Combined girls, who are writing history, again! It’s so important for the future generations to see that the sport is developing in the right direction, and that we can also compete in the big hills.

Last question: What makes the Nordic Combined Community so special?
One thing I really like about Nordic Combined is the challenge of finding the best balance between Ski Jumping training and Cross-Country training, and how to optimize the body for both disciplines. Every athlete has their own thoughts on how to do this. We are all competitors, and everyone wants to be the first to cross the finish line, but the thing that makes the Nordic Combined Community so special is that outside the competitions, we’re just a big friendly family who can train and have fun together.