Sara Hector tells the truth about the chaos in the alpine national team

The alpine national team is under pressure and several of the riders themselves have to spend over 100,000 kroner to get it together.
Giant slalom star Sara Hector, who gets her venture funded, suffers with those worse off, but notes:
– Sport will always be based on results, that you draw boundaries based on that. That is the harsh reality.

Several media have recently reported on the strained finances of the Swedish Skiing Association. Among other things, Dagens Nyheter this week described the situation in the alpine national team after two broken sponsorship contracts, something that has spilled over to individual skiers.

– It is sad with the development that has been economic, says the reigning Olympic gold medalist in giant slalom Sarah Hector.

Ten riders are forced to pay

According to DN, at first there were only three riders – Hector, Anna Swenn-Larsson and Kristoffer Jakobsen – who would have their investment paid off this year. Recently, however, it became clear that another six riders from the so-called training group 1 will receive funding. The rest, ten riders, have to pay up to SEK 150,000 themselves to get their investment together. Sara Hector suffers with the national team mates.

– It is very sad that the conditions are not better, she says.

READ MORE: Olympic gold hero Sara Hector’s new message – that’s why she’s now leaving Sweden: “I’m moving completely”

She has just returned from a training camp in Ushuaia, Argentina, on the southern tip of South America. Another who was there was Estelle Alphandwho have chosen their own layout. The 29-year-old is part of training group 2, needs to pay for training camps this year, but believes that the system for Sweden’s lower-ranked skaters is not competitive.

Training with Andorra

Therefore, she paid for the trip to Argentina herself, and on the spot she trained with Andorra’s national team, not Sweden’s.

– It is very strong of her to do this herself. And I really hope it will bring results. I have missed having her on the team. But I also understand that it is a reality for the national team that is not so easy to deal with. And that they need to draw boundaries, there is a lot to take into account, says Hector.

A difficult balancing act, admits Sara Hector. She understands that the Swedish Skiing Association has to prioritize hard when resources are scarce, but also thinks that you have to invest in order to continue to have a strong national team.

READ MORE: Sara Hector’s honest words – opens up about the drama behind the Olympic gold: “Toughest day of my life…”

– I really hope that they find a way to put the resources where they do the most good. Because it is important that there is something that inspires future generations. But it is clear that it becomes a matter of priority when resources are lacking. And I understand that they are doing their absolute best, she says.

It is a tricky position that the association has found itself in. The big losers are of course the riders who themselves have to pay gigantic sums to be able to participate and compete – it is not sustainable in the long run.

It will be exciting to soon see a new alpine season again. We certainly hope for many Swedish successes on the slopes. Hey hey!

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