Scandinavian Rowing News

The Swede Johan Flodin has been appointed new Head Coach for the Norwegian National Rowing Team. He will still coach Frida Svensson.

The other day, several newspapers in Sweden had articles about Johan Flodin, the ‘personal’ coach for Frida Svensson, who is one of Sweden’s most successful scullers during the last decade. Starting after New Year’s, Flodin will be the new Head Coach for the Norwegian National Rowing Team, which counts amongst its members the famous sculler Olaf Tufte. To the Norwegian State radio, Tufte says that he is very pleased with the choice of the new Head Coach. ‘We need more discipline within the team and more clear structure about whom is doing what.’ Tufte continues to say about Flodin: ‘He is a fantastic person and an amazing coach who brings tons of knowledge in his luggage’. The Norwegian sculler also mentions that Johan Flodin has been his favourite for a new coach for the Norwegian National Team. For the first time in ten Olympic Games, Norway did not take any rowing medals at the London Games.

Flodin, who coached Svensson to the World Championship title in the single sculls in 2010, is living in Strömstad, a small town on the west coast of Sweden, fairly close to the Norwegian boarder. He is the president of the local rowing club, Strömstad Roddklubb, which is one of Sweden most victorious rowing clubs. Flodin himself is one of the club’s triumphant oarsmen. He is also headmaster for a school in Strömstad, the only educational institution in Sweden that has rowing not only on its programme, but in its curriculum. The school has been the training ground for more than three decades when it comes to feeding promising rowers to the Swedish National Team.

Flodin tells the local newspaper in Strömstad that his contract with the Norwegian Rowing Federation, which will run beyond the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016, will allow him to continue to train Frida Svensson. ‘She is welcome to train with the Norwegian National Team on Lake Årungen’, Johan Flodin says to the paper. He is now quitting his job as a headmaster, but will continue to live in Strömstad, with a second apartment in Norway as well.

There have been speculations in Sweden that Flodin would take on the job as the Rowing National Coach for Sweden, since the current coach, Leif Pettersson, will soon leave after he decided to not sign up for a new period. Pettersson only held this position for 18 months.

Lassi Karonen takes a break.

Another blow to the Swedes is that Lassi Karonen just announced that he will take a break from rowing on an elite level during 2013. In a press release published in the Stockholm newspapers, Karonen says that he is looking forward to taking care of his family. Starting at New Year’s, he will stay home with his children for ‘Parental Leave.’ Karonen says that this does not mean that he will not go for the Olympics in Rio. Right now, I need a break, then I will see if I will aim for Rio, he says.

Swedish Rowing Magazine Turning 20 Years!

My good friend Per Ekström, editor of the Swedish rowing magazine Svensk Rodd, is very busy these days. He is working hard on getting the last issue of the year out to the readers. I am guessing he had to shuffle some pages around after Frida Svensson became World Champion in the single scull in New Zealand a week ago. Svensson's victory is an enormous success not only for her, but also for Swedish rowing. Despite the many rivers, lakes, and the long coastline, rowing is not a big sport in Sweden.

However, Ekström's magazine is reaching almost 7,000 members of the Swedish rowing clubs, and they get the magazine for free. This year Svensk Rodd is celebrating 20 years. I have already told the story how Ekström and I started the magazine in 1990 in an entry on 19 March 2009. It seems Ekström has no intention to hand over the helm to someone else, which is good because few know more about rowing than he does. He has proven great editorial skills these two decades.

Congratulations to Svensk Rodd and Per, a jolly nice fellow and a good sport!

Well Done, Frida!

She might not be the tallest, biggest, or even the strongest, but in the women's single scull final in the World Championships on Lake Karapiro, Frida Svensson of Sweden was the fastest and therefore the best! The photograph above, from Row2k.com, says it all. This means that the 29-year-old Frida, who rows for Falkenberg Rowing Club, broke the winning streak of Ekatarina Karsten, who has six world championships in the single under her belt. According to Swedish newspaper articles, the Swede's tactics for the race was simple: go out as hard as possible and try to stay in the lead. Or as we would say in Sweden: "det må bära eller brista" ["sink or swim", which in this case seems to be a mixed metaphor!]. Read FISA's article "Respectless Svensson shows no mercy" here.

My warmest congratulation to Frida, her coach Johan Flodin, and the Swedish Rowing Federation!

Here are some interviews with Frida Svensson and other world champions: