Swedish men's skiing's track record is long and contains lots of Olympic gold and World Championship gold. But at the World Championships in Seefeld this spring there was not a single Swedish men's medal. In other words, one is far from the heyday.
- We have not blocked the gaps that occurred when successful riders retired. We could see that it would be a loss in the age structure in Vancouver and Sochi. We could have done a much better job with those who would fill up, says Mattias Nilsson.
Do you lose them when you have so many stars at the top?
- To some extent it is. If you have some who are very successful, it is difficult to settle. It's something we can do better the next time we end up in the same situation.
Where does the Swedish men's national team stand in the ski world today?
- We are underdogs, so it is. Russia and Norway have dominated and that will not change in a turnaround. It will be a couple of years before we are back to our very strongest days. There is nothing to knit under a chair with.
How long will it take before you can challenge them?
- We have several riders who can challenge pallet locations. The next Olympics can make a significant difference. I don't know if I want to raise any names, but Jens (Burman) made a very nice ending to the season. His back has worked better after the surgery and this is the first time in a long time he has been able to go injury-free into a season.