Magdalena Forsberg

Forsberg won her first World Cup titles in 1997, when she finished on top of the points standings in the overall and the pursuit categories. Her Swedish fans had strong hopes that she would win a medal at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, but it was not to be. The pressure affected Forsberg's nerves and she shot poorly. The Swedish team finished tenth in the relay, and Forsberg's individual results were fourteenth place in the individual-start event and seventeenth in the sprint. However, Forsberg did well on the World Cup circuit again that year. She successfully defended her title in the pursuit category, and she was the runner-up in two other specialties and in the overall.

In the next three seasons, Forsberg won a total of eleven World Cup titles, including the Grand Slam the overall, sprint, individual-start, mass-start, and pursuit titles, all in one year in 2000-01. Again, going into the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics Forsberg was favored to medal in several events, and again she faltered under the weight of expectations. She could have won the gold in the fifteen kilometer individual event if she had made at least two her final three shots, but her legs were shaking and she missed twice. Instead, she won the bronze, her first Olympic medal. A few days later Forsberg added another medal to her collection by finishing third in the 7.5 kilometer sprint.