Photo: Bildbyrån
SVT expert Mathias Fredriksson is critical of how far after Sweden’s junior is the youth of the other countries.
Now the national team manager Anders Byström is forced to defend himself and the union.
– This should be seen in a larger perspective. I myself have been a junior national team coach without taking medals. You should not place too much emphasis on it, he tells SVT.
Except Märta Rosenbergs22, Successes in the U23 World Cup did not go very well for Sweden during JVM in Italian Schilpario. The U20 riders have some to develop in the future.
– I hope they go home and do the job now, because they have many years left on their careers. Good juniors may not be good seniors. But for Sweden as a nation, I had wished we had better juniors, for a good breadth of juniors give some good seniors, said SVT’s expert Mathias Fredriksson to SVT a few days ago.
Anders Byström about weak JVM
After the championship received the national team manager Anders Byström “Be responsible” for the weak results.
– This should be seen in a larger perspective. I myself have been a junior national team coach without taking medals. One should not place too much emphasis on it. They should have championship experience, then we obviously want to take medals. We will talk to the colleges if we have to “shapea” up the training. But there have been good results too. We should not dig down. Obviously it’s not good enough. Then we have to consult with those who have been there. We should not be that far behind, where we have to be better next year, Byström tells SVT.
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Mathias Fredriksson points out that several of the Swedes at U20 level simply have not been able to keep pace in the big climbs. That it is a lot because of those that the best Swedes have gone to the finish a minute or two after the victories in each race.
Mathias Fredriksson continued critical
Then Anders Byström says that he, given last year’s fine results then Alvar Myhlback Won two JVM gold, is not worried about the juniors’ level seen over time.
– It is something we have seen that, if you count capacity in backs, we have a job to do. We are good in sprint, but may have a job to do in longer races where it requires more in oxygen uptake. We discuss it, but it is from year to year, he says.
Read more: Anders Byström strikes back against the SVT expert after the play
Mathias Fredriksson is not completely satisfied with the answers he and the others received from Anders Byström. The former ski star, who has won both the Olympic and World Cup medals, remains critical of how the union acted when it comes to the petition of Alvar Myhlback, and he is not convinced that the medal drought takes seriously.
– Anders says it is most important to participate, not compete. It’s the junior World Cup. I think it is important to compete for medals, not just participate. I take that with me from the interview, he says.
What do you think of Anders Byström’s defense at Mathias Fredriksson’s critical issues? Is he right, or should Sweden be worried about the level of the juniors? Feel free to leave a comment!
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