PHOTO: Bildbyrån + Facebook
Thomas Wassberg is one of the giants of Swedish sports.
That’s why he was in the first season of “Master of Champions”
But now the truth about the ski icon’s huge coup is revealed in the TV show.
One of the really big heroes of Swedish skiing is called Thomas Wassberg. Together with the pair horse Gunde Swan they reaped great success on the ski slopes in the past years.
Icon Wassberg
Wassberg has always been known for going his own way and always doing exactly what he wants and feels like. As one of the giants of Swedish sports, he was also invited to the very first season of the SVT program “Mästarnas mästare”.
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The TV recordings took place in autumn 2008 and Wassberg had flown down to Spain together with the other participants. But already after two weeks, the ski icon started to get worried and wanted to go home – the reason was that the snow was on its way to the Åsarna and he was responsible for the ski tracks.
READ MORE: Thomas Wassberg’s unexpected find in the ashes after the tragic fire: “Feels absolutely fantastic”
The coup in SVT
Therefore, Wassberg decided to go out on purpose and he was pitted against the skier Emelie Öhrstig in the classic night duel. Wassberg had already told all the other participants that he wanted to go home and would therefore actively lose the duel, which pleased Öhrstig.
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But neither SVT nor the presenter Mike Leijnegard knew about this coup. When the nightly duel came, thoughts within Wassberg were brought to life, see the video below.
– When I stood there, I thought to myself: “Should I really go to bed?”. It just doesn’t work. It would look crazy in the program when it is broadcast, the legend tells SportExpressen 15 years later.
– It just didn’t work. This is how you are made as a human being. Everything is reflex. It is not possible to hold back or delay one’s reaction for a second. Then it is immediately visible in the camera that you have gone to bed.
READ MORE: The truth about Thomas Wassberg’s brilliant skiing coup that fooled everyone – Gunde Svan admits after 38 years
“Magically good”
Wassberg’s winning skull took over completely and when the sword fell after a long wait, he reacted with lightning speed and caught it. To his own and Emelie Öhrstig’s great surprise, Wassberg won the duel and got to stay on the TV show.
But Öhrstig wasn’t too down when she was forced to pack her bag and leave Spain after just two weeks.
– I had told my boss that I wanted to be off for two weeks, so the timing was quite good. I actually don’t know how I would have solved it if I had stayed, she says with a laugh today.
It was clearly noticeable that both of them were just laughing and SVT sensed that there had been something going on, see the video below. But only later in the night does the host Leijnegard find out what has happened.
– That is a story you never forget, the SVT profile tells the evening newspaper.
– I don’t remember exactly how I reacted, but I thought it was a magically good story. Wassberg is a natural phenomenon. Every day he was on the show was a win for all of us.
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