The past few days have been turbulent around the alpine national team. According to an anonymous survey from SVT Sport, almost half of the skiers lack confidence in the team management. At the same time, the association is conducting its own mapping of the activities.
And now changes are taking place.
The Swedish Ski Association announces that Stolt Halvarsson, alpine and ski cross chief, and Melin, national team manager alpine and ski cross, are leaving.
First of all, I want to say that these are people with a very great commitment who have done incredibly much good for the entire Swedish skiing community. They have a warm heart and have really burned for their assignments. It's important to say that, says Pernilla Bonde, Secretary General of the Swedish Ski Association.
"A comprehensive assessment"
The criticism of the management has been great lately, but Bonde says that the result of the SVT survey is not behind the decision.
This is a comprehensive assessment. It's about us needing to take a new approach to the alpine activities in several different areas. We have challenges that have built up over a longer period, with economic challenges, strategic challenges, sporting challenges, and cultural challenges. It affects the entire alpine Sweden, so it's a broad issue.
The association has since last year conducted its own mapping of the activities. The work is now in its final stage and will, after being presented to the board, be followed by an action plan.
We have done a thorough job, the board ordered it a year ago, we have really gathered a lot of knowledge, both in surveys that have gone out to many in the skiing community and in-depth interviews, says Bonde and continues:
"Done a solid job"
We have made a thorough analysis of the entire alpine Sweden and compared it with many other countries. We have done a solid job. In this, we will move forward with several different parts of this new approach. New leadership is one part of it.
The association will now initiate a recruitment process. Lars Melin will remain for a while to facilitate the handover, and Per Jonsson will be the acting alpine and national team manager.
What qualities are you looking for in the replacements?
When we now start the recruitment, we will do a solid job around it. I see ahead of me a safe, stable, and clear leadership, among other competencies, of course.
