Ruud Hofstad Knows When To Step It Up

FasterSkier · February 17, 2005

Source: Langrenn.com

Tore Ruud Hofstad’s best World Cup finish this season was a sixth place. When it really counted he fought his way to World Championship bronze medal

Tore Ruud Hofstad and the other medal winners were celebrated with fireworks at the award ceremony Thursday night. Photo: Stian Hœgland

– This was very exciting. I was able to dig deep and push hard at the end of the race and I have to say that I’m a little proud of that. I felt that I was able to distribute my energy well. I had to calm down a fraction after 10-kilometer. I was thinking that I needed to save some energy for the end of the race and skied that part well. I talked to the Erlend Hem the national team physiologist earlier today, before the race. He fought for his life in South Asia in the Tsunami wave catastrophe on second day Christmas, and he told me that since he was able to come out of that alive, I should be able to do well today. Luckily he was right, says Tore Ruud Hofstad.

Two years ago he captured silver in the pursuit race at Worlds in Val di Fiemme. He might not race the pursuit this time.

– I would like to race both the regular 4 x 10-kilometer relay and the sprint relay, and feel more for that than racing the pursuit, says Ruud Hofstad

He admits that capturing the bronze medal felt good.

– It feels about as good as when I won the silver in 2003. This was probably the only race I realistically could hope to capture an individual medal in at these Worlds. I was of course dreaming about gold, but I have to be objective and look at how I have performed previously this season. I had a sixth place as my best, so this was about optimal, says Hofstad.

He built himself up psychologically and pulled out an incredible finish sprint

– I just had to give it all. A fourth place would have been disappointing. I have several fourth places from the past and that’s always equally frustrating, says Hofstad

He had to wait in the finish area for the skiers that started behind him to see if they could beat his time and disliked that a great deal.

– It’s tough to see racer after racer trying to beat your time. The worst is to be pushed down from the podium, but that didn’t happen today. Its big difference in third and fourth place, says Tore Ruud Hofstad.