PHOTO: Bildbyrån
It wasn’t a bad skiing career that Gunde Svan had.
A memory from that incomparable time stands out a little extra for him.
– It is special, of course, Gunde tells Sportbibeln.
Four Olympic golds, seven World Cup golds, 30 individual victories in the World Cup, and five overall victories in the World Cup. Gunde Swan is the skier who won it all and then some. This in a nine-year career, which he ended already at the age of 29.
Gunde’s career
There are probably many people who have fond memories of Gunde Svan’s career, and his career has given many people great joy on several occasions. But Gunde himself rarely thinks back on his career these days.
– It’s been many years since it passed, so I don’t think about it many times. As the years have passed, I have new goals. One of my weakest points is looking backwards. Maybe it was a success factor many times, but I can get better at being happy about what has been, he says to Sportbibeln.
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Instead, Svan is someone who is constantly looking forward rather than backward.
– There are new goals and new things ahead all the time, which are at the door, so to speak. So I learned quite quickly that after a victory in the first distance at the WC, if you were happy for too long, the next competition was in the danger zone. It is important to change the focus quickly.
Best memory
But Gunde still has a couple of memories from his career that he values a little higher than everyone else.
– You can never get over the first Olympic gold in Sarajevo, it’s special of course. It’s something that you’ve thought about and strived for almost since your youth, so it’s hard to ignore it. At the same time, the last WC gold was also special. Then I had to once again break out of a disadvantage for the first time in many years. Almost ever since I broke through.
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Gunde continues:
– Otherwise, the expectation was that they would deliver as usual. But then I had ridden so badly before so no one thought I would win. So it was like the first time in a way, although it was the last time. So it was also very special in that way. Somewhat the same feeling, but unprepared. Then it’s a bit more fun than just delivering what you expect, says Svan.
READ MORE: Gunde Svan’s relationship with Petter Northug completely changed after the Norwegian’s behavior: “I was terrified”
“Not smart”
Is there anything you regret from your career?
– Well, I don’t know if I regret it. But something that many people remember, it was probably the Holmenkollen five-mile, when I went off and broke my elbow but finished the race anyway. It may not be exactly a role model thing, but I didn’t want to ruin the streak I had of never breaking a ski competition. At the time I was there, I thought it was right, but with hindsight it might not have been so smart, says Gunde.
READ MORE: Gunde Svan blames TV4 – after the unexpected that happened at the daughter’s wedding: “Man was in the depravity”
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