Truls Möregårdh enchanted large parts of Sweden during the Olympics when he won double silver medals, one individual and one as a team.
Despite that, the 22-year-old has had to receive online hate after the summer of achievements from people who bet money on the matches.
– It can be anything from them threatening you or threatening your family, says Möregårdh in Framgångspodden.
Möregårdh says in the podcast that people also threaten his relatives, and that it mainly concerns people who gambled money on him.
– It can be anything from them threatening you or threatening your family. They can write that they lost a few thousand on me and send knife emojis.
But despite the tough messages and threats against family members, Möregårdh tries to avoid putting too much importance on it.
– I think it is so sad how they manage to write hateful comments to one. It’s really not something that ever crossed my mind.
– I know that many athletes talk about it and that it is difficult, and I can understand that. But I’ve tried not to get hung up on it, says Möregårdh.
Secretary-General: “Unacceptable”
After Truls Möregård’s participation in Framgångspodden, the Swedish Table Tennis Association’s general secretary Thomas Buza has reacted to the information.
– It is completely unacceptable. But this is unfortunately something that has happened before, says Buza The Express.
Buza himself has not been in contact with Möregårdh since it happened, and often it is the national team captain Jörgen Persson and sporting director Daniel Ellermann who manage the contacts with the players.
– He has a management around him that he is close to and has good contact with and enjoys. I’m pretty sure they’re handling the issue. If they need support from us, we are just a phone call away. It is clear that I will raise the issue now with our sporting director and the national team captain now, says Buza.
During the Olympics, Truls Möregårdh took the first Swedish Olympic medal in table tennis since 2000 when Jan-Ove Waldner took home a silver.