Charlotte Kalla

Marina Charlotte Kalla ( born July 22, 1987 in Tärendö ) is a Swedish cross-country skier. It reached its greatest success with the Olympic gold medal over 10 km at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and the World Champion title in the team sprint, 2011.

• 2.1 Single Cup victory
• 2.2 World Cup rankings

Career

The first successes as a junior

Charlotte Kalla, who lives in Östersund and starts for the IFK Tärendö, made ​​her international debut in November 2004 at the FIS race in Gällivare. In the race over five kilometers in Gällivare they immediately became second behind Lina Andersson. A week later she was on the same route at the same place fourth. In general, they still came up to this time in Junior race. In 2005 she was Swedish junior champion over 10 km and runner-up over 5 km and the sprint. Towards the end of the season they won in Kiruna her first FIS races over the 5 -kilometer route. The junior race they dominated almost at will, placed seldom worse than on the second rank. At the Junior World Championships in 2006 in Kranj, she won gold in the pursuit race, Bronze 5 km and missed a third medal in fourth in the sprint just barely. Then they won again in Kalix a national junior title over 5 km and bronze in the sprint race. Towards the end of the season Kalla was first used in the sprint race of Changchun in the World Cup, where they finished 14th.

The first successes in the World Cup

At the beginning of the 2006/07 season they finished seventh place in the 10 -kilometer race from Gällivare their first top- ten finish in the World Cup. in this competition, it was now increasingly used. With the season it was in December in La Clusaz Second and won for the first time in February in Davos a World Cup race. In the subsequent Nordic World Ski Championships in 2007, it reached a fifth place in the 10 -kilometer race and a seventh place in the pursuit of significant results. The following Junior World Championships Kalla Gold gained over 5 km and in the pursuit and silver in the sprint behind Astrid Jacobsen.

To kick off the 2007/08 season Kalla won with Britta Johansson Norgren the team sprint in Dusseldorf. They also won the year the Tour de Ski, which was the highlight of the season. They could also celebrate three stage wins. After the Tour de Ski but Kalla get only three individual placings in the top ten in the World Cup. The start of the season 2008/ 09 in Gällivare was again successful for Lily, as she won the first race of the season about 10 kilometers to Marit Bjørgen. A day later, she was also the season as third on the podium again. In December, she was successful in La Clusaz in second in the relay. At the Swedish Championships 2009, she won the title in the pursuit of more than 15 km and above 10 km in singles. In the sprint, she finished fourth. At the World Cup in Valdidentro she missed the podium in fourth again just barely.

In Liberec at the Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 Kalla won by an eighth place in the pursuit and finished sixth in the sprint in the relay bronze medal. In mass start 30 km, it was ranked 18th of the season end Kalla missed in Lahti only just the victory and finished second. The season finale in Falun she finished in third place. In the overall World Cup Kalla finished at the end of 12th place after the end of the season they won a total of three FIS races in Åsarna and Piteå. At the beginning of the 2009/10 season Kalla was second in Beitostølen and won the World Cup with the relay on the same route a day later. Also in Davos, she was again second before in Piteå over 10 km defended her title at the Swedish Championships in 2010 and won silver in the sprint and pursuit.

First Olympic victory

Once again they could win a World Cup in Canmore, Kalla won at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, the gold medal in the 10 km freestyle and won together with Anna Haag silver in the team sprint. With the season they clearly failed to make a medal in fifth. In Skiathlon and over 30 km they missed a top ranking, but could be placed within the top 10. At the season finale in Falun she stood back as the year in third place.

At the beginning of the season 2010/11 she was in Gällivare twice again as second on the podium. In December 2010, she won the FIS races in sprint and over 10 km in Skellefteå. The Tour de Ski 2010/2011 Kalla finished in fifth. At the Swedish Championships 2011 in Sundsvall Kalla won the title in the pursuit. A short time later, she started at the Nordic World Ski Championships 2011 in Oslo. After an eighth place in the sprint, finished fourth in the pursuit and rank 11 over 10 km in a classic style, she won the gold medal in the team sprint. Just one day later, Kalla won the team relay race silver. The World Championships she finished fourth with more than 30 km. In the overall World Cup Kalla finished after the sixth rank in Falun fifth overall.

After she was active and successful in the summer of 2011 for the first time in roller skiing in Aure, Kalla also launched in the 2011/12 season successfully with a second rank in Sjusjøen. In Kuusamo, she was fourth overall. In Davos and Rogla she missed good rankings and landed only in the middle. The Tour de Ski 2011/2012, she finished as seventh. In Otepaeae they missed a podium placement only slightly and was fourth. At the Swedish Championships 2012, she won the Skiathlon and in individual above 10 km the gold medal in the sprint and silver. In Rybinsk Kalla was in second on the podium again. After they landed at the end of the season in Falun in third place, she ended her hitherto most successful season in fourth place in the overall World Cup standings.

Drop in performance in 2012

After successful season 2011/12 Kalla joined the 2012/13 season the club Piteå Elit and now had to contend with a performance hit. They rarely landed on the front seats. At the Tour de Ski 2012/2013 it was seventh. In the following Nordic World Ski Championships 2013 in Val di Fiemme, she won the team sprint together with Ida Ingemars yolk the silver medal. Also in the season won Kalla with the team precious metal. However, in the individual disciplines they ran behind the medals far.

After Kalla no longer found its way back into the world top even after the World Cup, it was at the end of de season eighth overall. At the Swedish Championships in April 2013 in Boden, she won the title more than 30 km.

At the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi in 2014, she won the silver medal in Skiathlon behind Bjørgen well as the gold medal in the 4x5km relay in the kick-off competition.

Achievements

Individual World Cup victories

World Cup rankings

Awards

For her performance, she was awarded the contracts awarded by Sveriges Radio Radiosportens Jerringpris.