This is not the Gustav we think we know. The Gustav we know doesn’t talk like this, so we thought. The expectation is that we will always get ‘Fun Gustav’. We forget that nobody is one-dimensional.

“It's the true me to be fun and to bring the humour, but then it became more of a role than I really was and then it became really difficult to be fun. I've been thinking about it quite a bit. I don't think it's a shield — it's just who I am. But it has crossed my mind because when I'm at home I'm kind of like a different person.”

The last two years have been unfamiliar territory in so many ways for Gustav. The learnings from that period are not just for him — we all need to do better. Gustav has developed ways of steering conversations in the direction he wants, but a lack of tact persists. The need to satisfy our own curiosity creates unnecessary burden for an individual already carrying a heavy load. There’s no template for grief. No right or wrong way. No formula. It’s not for others to define or dictate. Many of us simply don’t have the skill set to read the situation appropriately. “I've had a lot of strange conversations. Like, why would you say that to me? Why would you ask that?” It’s not the role of the person hurting to mitigate awkwardness or be forced to walk away. Some things are best left unasked. 


To race is to breathe life into Gustav’s everyday purpose. Describing it as a tool for validating his existence doesn’t feel like a stretch. It is everything to him. Being race-ready is much more than the return of aerobic capacity. Gustav acknowledges that, based on some numbers, he was still in good shape. But good sensations involve a complex interplay that reaches far beyond the physical — it’s about happiness, contentment, balance, and resolve. This is the chemistry of motivation and well-being that gets a body moving forward. The hardest movement is the first one. To build momentum you need to break free from the inertia of negativity. A stranglehold that anchors you in time while the rest of a sport moves forward. Gustav is clear: “Fitness is the main part. So much confidence comes from good performance. And with confidence comes happiness. And with happiness comes more positivity in training as well. So, it's like a flywheel propelling you forward.”

“Fitness is the main part. So much confidence comes from good performance. And with confidence comes happiness. And with happiness comes more positivity in training as well. So, it's like a flywheel propelling you forward.”

The media deployed the same lines, ad nauseam. Gustav’s awful year, replayed — over and over. “I do feel like I get too much pity, sometimes. People feel sorry for me. I feel like sometimes it's like an elephant in the room — talking to me, but not in the same way as before." And so a return to Kona was always going to be daunting — the experience of a great return impaired by the prospect of being treated differently. There would be no avoiding the scrutiny of the spotlight. Yes, the questions were predictable, but there’s warmth to be found in the palpable excitement that fans of the sport express to see Gustav competing again.

“It's a difficult position for the media, to criticize someone who just lost their mother. It's very hard for them to attack me, which I do understand. But I don't think that's the only reason. I think they see that I still have this real passion for the sport and that I really want to perform again.”

It was a double-edged sword — the thrill of being back countered by an underlying awareness of not being ready. The banality of pre-race questions was unavoidable, only serving to intensify the discomfort for the person who needed, more than anyone else, to feel like he belonged here again. To appear positive yet, all the while, perhaps quietly knowing that this stage had arrived too soon to be competitive. “Before Kona, I wouldn't say it was nerves — I was stressed. And for me being stressed is a big negative. It wasn't just the morning of the race — it was the whole situation of Kona. A lot of it had to do with insecurity and uncertainty around whether I could even finish. Which turned out to be true.” It’s all intertwined with pressure. Gustav feels a tailwind of support from his partners, but when race day is done the aftermath of a result rests on his shoulders alone. “We all want to win, but I am the only who's getting the consequence of not winning.”

To know nothing but perfection amplifies the shock of distress. Gustav is honest and self-critical here, acknowledging a blind ignorance to the plight of others. When you’re at the top, and the world is chasing you, that peripheral awareness is obscured by success that keeps the eyes forward — blinkered, you could say.

“In the past I maybe looked down on people who said, ‘sport has been really tough lately — I've been struggling mentally.’ But since I hadn't had this experience, I didn't realise that other people could also be going through this.”

You weather the storm and come out more robust. Now, when Gustav looks forward, there are athletes in front. For once, he is the one chasing. It's impossible to say whether the motivation to stay at the front is more powerful than the motivation to overtake — an athlete can only exist in one place. Both are fueled by a desire to win and there’s no denying that Gustav has that very much front of mind.

That first step forward isn’t necessarily a literal one. For Gustav now, the rebuild starts with a feeling of control. Of developing positive intentions and a mindset for change.

I became a bit passive. Next year, the mantra for myself is, ‘winning is a choice’. But I need to internalise that and take charge of my own life — to be better at making decisions again. And it's not that I'm going to push people around me away, but I need to take charge. To do things that I truly believe in.”

Emotion and fragility can be exposed when combined with other life-affecting moments. Those at the top are not immune. Life is never linear — for athletes or anyone. “It didn't change overnight. It has been a long process and the process is still there, you know? It's not the point of life to be happy happy happy, but that's what I'm working towards. Like in sport, you're not going to win all the world titles, but that's what you're working towards — not working towards coming 5th. I'm not working towards being medium-happy. You have to have clear ambitions.”


This is the revival.