“Not to be mean, but…”

Gunde Svan’s choice made all Swedish ski lovers furious.
Thomas Wassberg remembers it all clearly, and to this day he sees Svan’s decision.
– I’m not saying that to be mean, says Wassberg in an SVT documentary.

Many in Sweden caught the eye of Gunde Svan early on. He was only 19 years old when he was featured in a television report for the first time, and he was then portrayed as a great Swedish talent. And the successes were not long in coming. He made a success of the JVM in 1979 with a medal, and won both silver and bronze the following year.

Stood over the baton

In 1982, he was looking to win his first gold, but he didn’t expect that he would also be competing in real World Championships around the same time. Everyone was curious when Svan, then only 20 years old, was selected for the WC in Holmenkollen, and he made a big impression right away. Gunde Svan was also supposed to be in the relay team during the championship, but that’s when he shocked everyone.

Sweden had already been hit by defections when Gunde Svan decided to stand down, even he. The reason was said to be that he did not want to take chances, and instead bet wholeheartedly on the upcoming JVM. And the verdict in the Swedish media was harsh. Sweden was only fifth in the relay, and in the newspapers there were headlines everywhere about Gunde Svan’s betrayal, and that did not make him more popular with the national team captain Åke Jönsson.

Wassberg’s harsh words

Thomas Wassberg was Sweden’s big skiing king at this time, and remembers it all clearly. In a new documentary about Gunde Svan on SVT, called “Gunde Svan – Skidåkaren”, Wassberg once again speaks out about the whole thing, and he is clear about what he thinks of Svan’s decision.

– Not to be mean, but he had junior manners about him, says Wassberg.

Åke Jönsson is still disappointed by Svan’s actions to this day.

– You can’t do what you want when you’re a team. You have to listen to the team manager who talks about how it should be. You can’t let the gang down, so to speak, says Jönsson in the documentary.

The rift between Gunde Svan and Åke Jönsson only grew, and two years later, in the Olympics in Sarajevo, Thomas Wassberg had to go out last and therefore have times to go on during the five miles, instead of Svan who had shown better form before the competition. After Gunde Svan’s career, he came down hard on Jönsson in an autobiography.

“A great ski leader, but a small person. Jönsson had his favourites. And none of them were spelled Swan,” Gunde wrote in the book.