Meet Our Researchers: Gustav – Paving the Way for Olympic Medals and Better Public Health

How do skis and snow interact, and how can this improve Swedish cross-country skiing? Gustav conducts interdisciplinary research where tribology, biomechanics, and physiology converge to optimize skiing performance. His goal is not only to secure more Olympic medals but also to inspire more people to discover the sport and improve public health.

What are you researching?
"I am researching how cross-country skiers' movement patterns and the ski-snow contact are affected by each other. An interdisciplinary project that includes research areas such as tribology, biomechanics, physiology, etc. By increasing the understanding of this interaction and finding improvements, I hope to help increase the performance of the Swedish national team skiers and thus succeed in winning more medals at the Olympic Games. The fact that it can then make more people in Sweden open their eyes to the sport and thus improve public health is a good bonus."

What makes your research so interesting?
"What makes my research so interesting is that it's about a popular sport that so many people know about and can relate to. Why is it so slow to glide during the coldest days of winter? Can I stand differently on my skis to make them go faster? And perhaps most importantly, why do his skis glide better than mine? There are so many thoughts and experiences about this, among athletes and professional technicians, but there are still questions that we don't really know the answer to."

What is your dream as a researcher?
"To be close to sport and its practitioners to explore and improve the performance of the individual, but also to increase the general knowledge in sport, technology, training and health."

What is the best thing about your work?
"The best thing about my work is to spend the days with one of my biggest hobbies and to get together with other sports and technology enthusiasts to delve into the clever thoughts that arise. Meetings with athletes who are passionate about their sport and who always strive to develop also resonate with me.