It really hurt to see how much Anja Pärson was tormented.
Already in the first episode of Master of Masters, the nightmare came.
Probably SVT should apologize to her after tonight’s psychological pressure.
This is a comment. The opinions are the writer’s own.
Finally, a new season of the acclaimed SVT program “Master of Masters” has begun. It’s the sixteenth season of the competition show and this year’s edition has been marketed as the toughest ever.
That’s why it was off to a flying start right away when the tough challenge “hunter’s rest” was presented to the participants. And it caused huge anxiety immediately, just ask Anja Pärson.
Person’s anxiety
It already started the night before when the presenter Mike Leijnegard stepped in during dinner and revealed what tomorrow’s race would be.
“Finally, Anja,” says one of the participants immediately.
“Anja, you have to go for Järbyn,” says another competitor.
“Nahää, god…”, Anja’s only words are followed by a deep sigh.
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Inevitably, it was a night of nightmares for the Alpine legend and at breakfast she tells everyone else it’s been a tough night, ahead of what is usually a parade branch for downhill skiers.
– It was anxious early on. I didn’t sleep much the night before, Anja told SVT after the recordings.
What happens next is a journey into Anja Pärson’s psyche as the demons wrestle with a true winner’s skull. At the same time as SVT continues to push her to the limit.
“Now we are extra curious as to whether Anja Pärson can break the sick records that the downhill skiers have set before”, says an exhilarated Leijnegard before the competition.
Järbyn’s record
Then a video is played with all the past Alpine legends and we’ll see Pernilla Wiberg complete seven minutes, Ingemar Stenmark goes well over 10 minutes, André Myhrer breaks the record by 15 minutes, Frida Hansdotter topping it with an incredible 26 minutes and finally the current record holder Patrik Järbyn.
Everything is set for a new record in the Master of Masters and all focus is on Anja Pärson. SVT seems to have almost completely forgotten about the other eight participants who are there to compete.
– I already knew when I accepted that this is the branch everyone wants to see me do. There was only one thing, to stand the longest and preferably take the record from Järbyn, Anja has admitted after the recordings.
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It is very clear how difficult she finds the whole situation with all the pressure directed at her.
“Now we’re driving, Anja,” shouts one of the participants.
“Can’t we go and have a coffee instead?”, says an anxious Anja.
Anja gives up
The competition itself is not at all what the television production had hoped for when Anja Pärson suddenly gives up after 19 minutes. She can stay longer, but she can’t take the mental strain anymore.
“Oh, that I would beat Anja Pärson – I didn’t think so!”, says one shocked Johanna Davidsson who wins the competition.
“Finally, the hunter’s rest is over. There has been pressure and it has been a lot of work,” says Anja in the program and admits that she could have stayed longer – but didn’t want to.
READ MORE: Ingemar Stenmark makes all Swedes drop their jaws with the new display – no one can believe that the 67-year-old can handle this
No one but Anja herself can understand what she has been through but it really hurts to see her tormented in prime time. In a time of mental illness in athletes, you get a lump in your stomach from SVT’s behavior towards Anja Pärson and the tremendous pressure she was exposed to in connection with the hunters’ rest.
This never had Ingemar Stenmark accepted during his participation in Master of Masters. And now we keep our fingers crossed that Anja recovers quickly and shows her full capacity in the future.
What do you think of the first episode of Master of Masters? Share the article and have your say!
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