September 10, 2010 – The ski-racing world watched on the edge of their seats as Charlotte Kalla (SWE) and Marit Bjørgen (NOR) battled for supremacy at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. And when they face off again at the 2011 Nordic World Championships in Oslo, Norway in February they’ll be glued to TV and computer screens. However, until then we’ll have to be patient, as the two who would be Queen, will be taking different paths to the Holmenkollen stadium.

It was at the Tour de Ski three years ago that Kalla first made a name for herself when she beat out Finland’s Virpi Kuitunen in the uphill time trial on Alpe Cermis. According to langd.se, Kalla is excited to be heading back to one of her favourite race formats. “I’ve been thinking a bit back and forth whether I should race at the Tour de Ski this year. But I think that the World Cup schedule this year is better than it was for the Olympics. In addition, we do not have the time difference to deal with and the World Championships are later in the season,” said Kalla.

Bjørgen, on the other hand, is playing it safe. Her incredible performances in Vancouver can likely be attributed, in part, to a smart pre-Olympic plan that excluded the Tour de Ski. That’s not a formula she wants to tamper with heading into the Nordic World Championships. When she’s not training, she’ll be watching from the sidelines and biding her time.

With files from langd.se.