Facts: Sweden’s JVM medals
2023: Silver.
2018: Silver.
2016: Bronze.
2013: Bronze.
2012: Bronze.
2010: Bronze.
2009: Bronze.
She quickly chose the dressing room, as well as going up to the stands. Instead, Hilda Svensson began to poke around in the catacombs in Östersund’s arena.
She really doesn’t know why.
— I was just thinking of going somewhere… So now I’ve sat down in a room here.
In the end, it is still in the room that she gets her thoughts in order about the big loss against Canada.
— We weren’t really involved from the start. We knew we were facing Canada, which is a great team. They just came out and drove hard. We weren’t really into it.
Swedish nightmare start
Sweden’s start to the final in the home WC in Östersund was anything but good.
Passive, careful and pushed back.
In the end, it also narrowed behind the former great goalkeeper Felicia Frank.
Caitlin Kraemer got past a blue-and-yellow player, two, three and then pryed the puck between Frank’s leg pads to make it 1-0.
Then only 5.16 minutes had passed.
Before the period was over, Kraemer had scored three goals – she then scored another – and Canada led by a whopping 5-0.
Already there, the fight for the gold was over.
“If we had only been involved from the beginning, it would have been a completely different match,” says Svensson.
— It was a shame, because I think we will come back well in the third and show that we can stand up to them. It was a shame they started out that way.
TT: How will you digest this loss?
– I do not know. Tonight I think people will feel disappointed but maybe in a few days, then maybe we will realize how damn good we are. We are still second in the world.
Dreamed of historic gold
The victory in the semi-final against the USA made Sweden start to dream of a historic home World Cup. The players were looking for JVM gold – something that a Blue and Yellow ice hockey women’s national team has never managed to win in a JVM context.
Instead, the final against Canada became a nightmare.
The Canadians were too good, pouring on and securing the WC gold by excelling to a great victory with 10-0.
Sweden instead had to settle for the silver, just like in 2018 after the loss against the USA. The medal is the seventh for the ladies on the JVM side, five of which have been bronze.
The USA, which lost to Sweden in the semifinals, took bronze after a 5–0 win over Finland.