Three Swedish women’s skiing stars left the national team. Similar solutions have been seen before, and Krista Pärmäkoski has also practiced outside the national team. Expert Kalle Lassila explains what this is about.
The Swedish cross-country team is in turmoil. Three well-known women skiers have announced they are preparing for next season outside the national team. Abstained from national team activities City Svahn, Frida Karlsson and House Dahlqvist.
Svahn and Dahlqvist are above all sprint cannons. Dahlqvist, 28, won silver in sprint and doubles sprint and bronze in the post last season at the Beijing Olympics. Svahn, 22, was overwhelming at best in the World Cup sprints 2019-2020, but last season went no matter because of a shoulder injury. Karlsson, 22, won six World Championship medals at the 2019 and 2021 Games, but the Beijing Olympics went downhill.
Earlier, Swedish newspapers reported that many national team athletes have so far refused to sign an agreement with the Swedish Ski Association. Among other things Calle Halfvarsson, Johanna Hagström, Jens Burman and Marcus Grate confirmed at the launch of the Swedish national team in mid-May that they have not yet signed the contract.
According to Swedish newspapers, the disputes relate to the financial side of the agreement, such as what kind of personal sponsorship agreements can be made by skiers.
According to the athletes, the union did not agree to a compromise
Both Frida Karlsson and Maja Dahlqvist told Expressen (switch to another service)that the decision to opt out of the national team was difficult and matured during the spring. Karlsson stated that he would probably have regretted it later if he had not dared to make his decision.
The duo would have liked to have more flexibility in national team activities and a more individual approach to athletes. According to Expressen, they made an offer to the national team that they would remain members of the team without financial compensation if they were allowed to practice more independently with their own teams. This did not go through.
– It’s disappointing. We have always wanted to work with the team. We made a compromise proposal that we won’t take anything from the alliance, but we will work in front of the team if we just get to spend more time at home, Karlsson said.
The duo were also outraged by the way the Swedish Ski Association announced the duo was left out of the national team. According to the press release, Dahlqvist and Karlsson will not accept the national team agreement.
– For me, it’s not about the contract, it’s about sports and how I could become a better skier, Dahlqvist commented.
Anna Dyvik practiced last season on their own. He justified his decision a year ago by the need for more short, fast-paced workouts. Dyvik, who suffered from a back injury, felt that the training plans of the national team did not suit him.
Now returning to the national team, Dyvik understands the decision of the missing skiers.
Expert Kalle Lassila explains the biggest benefits and risks of the solution
Sports Expert Kalle Lassila sees that the Swedish women’s cross-country team has been really strong, but the focus of every single athlete is on how to be better than yesterday. Basically, it’s about individual athletes.
– The fact that the team as a whole is at a good level does not satisfy any of them in itself. Then you need to weigh how much compromise it takes to be part of a team. It is a whole, that is, what you get by being on the team and what you have to give up at the same time.
Lassila believes that the situation is a setback for the Swedish national team and the ski association, as it eats away at the credibility of the operation. At the same time, other skiers are left without the example set by star skiers.
The biggest benefit of self-training for athletes is that there is no need to compromise anymore.
– For each day, you can plan the training to meet your own needs, Lassila says.
On the negative side, Lassila points out that the athletes are not constantly monitored and tested by the high-level national team.
– When training together in camps, there will be daily follow-up in virtually every workout. You’ll notice how fit you are with your friends. Then the risk of going far into the woods is reduced. In a national team environment, training is safer so there are no training errors.
In Sweden, the national team system was barked
In Sweden, the decision was taken in dismay. Norwegian experts also considered the decision of the star skiers to be significant.
– It is a sign of illness in the Swedish national team system and a serious matter for the Swedish women’s team. The big stars are now on their own instead of training and developing each other. Also, this is bad news considering the national team sponsors, stated to VG (switch to another service) Norwegian expert Torgeir Björn.
From the leadership of the Swedish national team Anders Byström and Lars Öberg said the skiers’ decisions were disappointing but downplayed the problem. Öberg believes it is important for team spirit that skiers participate in the camps offered by the national team. In his opinion, the Swedish concept with camp days is strong and carefully analyzed.
– Training with your own plan and at the same time with the national team – it is clear that it is not possible. Then you have to choose, said Bystöm For Expressen (switch to another service) the retreat of star skiers.
However, the Swedish national team manager added that the skiers will be involved again when the races start, so “it’s not a giant drama”.
Supplier of Aftonbladet Kristoffer Bergström described the situation in its column (you switch to another service) “a real disaster.” He recalls that a similar solution had been reached in the past, among other things Johan Olsson and Charlotte Kalla. National team head coaches, in the past Magnus Ingesson and today Stefan Thomsonhave been opinion – sharing figures, Bergström wrote.
Bergström wonders why in cross-country skiing it is not possible for athletes to practice from time to time on their own and occasionally gather for national team camps if it is possible in athletics and swimming. Worst of all, Bergström thinks that the examples of star skiers could draw more and more athletes out of the national team. The economy and continuity of the union will suffer at the latest when the rising ski promises fail to learn from the more experienced.
– The new national team model must be developed immediately, Bergström’s view is heard.
Lots of similarities to Krista Pärmäkoski’s solution
Similar solutions have been seen in Finland. Krista Pärmäkoski practiced outside the national team in preparation for the 2019-2020 season. Pärmäkoski had been practicing with the national team for both training and competition seasons since 2009, but decided to apply for new stimuli for his career. At that time Pärmäkoski informed (you will switch to another service)that has ended up in his coaching duo to ensure progress Matti Haaviston and Tommi Pärmäkoski with building a training season on their own camps.
Kalle Lassila sees many similarities in Pärmäkoski’s decision and in the solutions of Swedish skiers. Lassila says that cross-country skiing has moved towards a much more team-like activity over the past 20 years, which has reduced the scope for individual application.
– It is added to the same equation that there are no club teams at the international level, but if you want to compete and be part of a team at the international level, it must be a national team.
– Even in the Finnish team, compromises are always made in the camping and training content for everyone. It also applies on an individual basis. With the move to more team-like work, application has declined. Still, there is a need for it, and one reason is to keep the toughest athletes on the team.
According to Lassila, maintaining the level for the toughest athletes alone requires solutions that the national team does not make on average.
In his career, Pärmäkoski was in a situation where he saw the way to value medals and development in doing things more independently. Last season, Lassila thought that Pärmäkoski’s solution was sensible and that he had been able to renew himself during his sports career.
– Without knowing more precisely what is the ultimate motivator for Swedes, it is about self-development and its opportunities. When an athlete sees that something is best for him, then it has to be done.
The 2022–23 season of the World Ski Cup begins at the end of November in Ruka. The World Cup will be held in February-March 2023 in Planica.