Rickard was ready to answer
some questions about Johan, Andreas, coaching and also about the guys from
Örnsköldsvik before the qualification in Hinterzarten for the first
Summer-Grand-Prix. He coached Johan Erikson and Andreas Arén there.
How satisfied are you
with the first Continentalcups (Jakob and Isak in Velenje, Andreas in
Oberstdorf)? Rickard: Andreas did really bad in Oberstdorf. He was better on the
second day, but he was also a bit unlucky. From Isak and Jakob Grimholm I did
not hear much. They came home, when we was going to Germany. But I think they
can jump better. They wanted to do very much... Jakob had some really good jumps
in the trainingscamp in Villach after the COC. Now he must do the same in the
competitions.
What do you expect from
the summer? Rickard: I do not expect so much from Andreas. He works pretty good
in the training and he jumps better and better. I hope Johan can get some points.
I also do not expect so much from Isak. Jakob is still very young. He loses much,
because he can not train with other teams. Emil Westberg is unmotivated. But we
do not have bad jumpers in Sweden, so I hope all jump better and better this
summer.
The coaching question in
Sweden is not solved. How is your job as the coach? Rickard: I have no expericence with coaching. It would be better, if
I am the second coach. But I know much, because I was a skijumper until 2002
and I know how it works. This is a new situation for everybody. When I
quite, I wanted to give something to the others. Therefore I began to work as a
coach in Örnsköldsvik.
Johan is the greatest
talent in Sweden. Please tell us a
bit about him. Rickard: Johan jumps better and better. It is hard for him to work
without a coach and also without a team. Sometimes there are Andreas Arén or
Isak Grimholm, but often he is alone. But nevertheless he is motivated after his
great winter. Let us see what will happen in the next winter, I hope we can find
a sponsor for him.
Please describe us how
skijumping in Sweden looks like! Where are the problems? Rickard: In Örnsköldsvik we are getting new hills, because they built
a new railway. Jumping for Friska Viljor is really nice. Nevertheless we really
need an A-Team. The younger jumpers need something to look up to. Then they will
get motivation. Like in the most other countries we have the problem with stop
skijumping in the age of 15. Other hobbies are more interesting then... So we
have not that much younger skijumpers.
You
are a really young coach, just a few years older than the jumpers. Is it hard
for you to get respect? Rickard: No, the guys do, what I say. We are talking much to each other,
so we have no problems. We have much fun with each others, that is really
important for jumping well. But I think it is better, if you have an older
coach, he has much more experience than I have and he knows more.
What do you think about
the planned cooperation between the US-Team and Johan? Rickard: It is the best way at the moment. Alan, Clint and the others are
a nice team, but they are not Johans "own" team. It would be better if he had a
team in Sweden. Right now it is the best solution.
What is your real job and
how can you coordinate with coaching? Rickard: In Örnsköldsvik I am working as a painter. At the moment I have
vacations. It is really fun here, but there should be a decission with coaching
the guys. If you are a real coach you can not work at home full-time, just a bit.
Is there future for
Swedish Skijumping? Rickard: For sure there is future. We have many younger jumpers like Carl
Nordin, Pär Svensson or Niklas Eriksson. Isak and Jakob Grimholm work in pieces.
The guys should just thinking on their own skijumping and they should not be
influenced by the problems we have. I hope we can have a good team in future,
with our younger guys.
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Thanks to Rickard!
Vielen Dank an www.swedish-skijumping.com, dass wir dieses Interview hier veröffentlichen dürfen.