Nearly half of the skiers lack confidence in the national team leadership, according to SVT's survey. It was sent out to all 19 skiers and was answered by 16.
The others stated that they have confidence in some, but no one answered that they have confidence in all. Six of the 16 respondents said they have considered quitting.
We take all the opinions that exist and that emerge in the survey very seriously, says Pernilla Bonde, Secretary-General of the Swedish Ski Association, during the national team's preparatory meeting.
"Biased"
At the same time, she criticizes the survey itself.
The questions are too biased, the response alternatives too nuanced, and they draw too large conclusions from a few interviews. I'm not saying the question isn't important, it's extremely important, and I will follow up on it with our skiers. But we must also base our surveys on factual grounds.
SVT Sports news chief Johanna Bäckström Lerneby responds to the criticism in an email to TT.
"I am completely confident in our journalism. Of course, I understand that the ski association reacts. Everyone likes investigative journalism, until they themselves are being investigated", she writes.
National team manager Lars Melin believes that the root of the skiers' discontent is the strained economy that the alpine national team is facing. Fewer skiers than before have their efforts fully funded.
It's clear that (skiers) who don't get what they used to get, it's clear that they become dissatisfied, says Melin to TT.
The economic situation is strained, says Kalle Olsson Bexell, marketing and communications manager.
Our costs have increased extremely much, at the same time as we have had a turbulent market. The sponsorship market has been almost dead.
"Really bad"
About the claims that there is a culture of silence, Olsson Bexell says:
Just that there is a feeling that there might be a culture of silence is really bad.
Olsson Bexell says that he has tried to talk to skiers and parents about concrete examples, but acknowledges that if a culture of silence prevails, it's probably not him they will talk to.
I will continue to search and try to find people to see what the root of this is. The problem remains, but the question is whether it's just talk that's becoming truth.
If that's the case, we must take action, naturally.
SVT sent out a digital survey to all 19 alpine national team skiers before the season – 16 of them responded. The answers were anonymous and there was also an opportunity to elaborate on their answers in free text.
The conclusions that were published concerned the following questions:
"Do you have, through the support of the Swedish Ski Association, the conditions you need to perform at your maximum?"
"Are you, as a skier, missing something in the Swedish national team?" with the opportunity to elaborate in free text.
"Who do you have confidence in":
+ "The Swedish Ski Association's highest leadership?"
+ "The national team leadership?"
"Several national team skiers have quit in recent years. Have you considered quitting?" There was also an opportunity to elaborate in free text.
"If we look at Swedish alpine skiing in general, do you want to see any changes?" with the opportunity to elaborate in free text.
Source: SVT.
