In 2015, the Swedish Skiing Association launched a major investment in speed disciplines.

A bet that would make Sweden a successful nation in downhill and super-G.

Together with a sponsor, SEK 15-20 million was invested over a period of six years.

However, the investment has not met expectations.

Sweden started with eight skaters at the home WC in Åre 2019, but did not win any medals.

At the Olympics last year, there were no Swedish speed skaters on the starting line.

In this year's World Cup, no Swede has started.

Now several Swedish skaters are criticizing the investment and strategy from the federation.

- We were going to win in Kitzbühel in 2021. We were going to get medals, but it didn't feel like there was any plan on how we were going to get there, says World Cup skier Felix Monsén to SVT Sport.

"The goals were too big"

Alpine profile Alexander Köll, who has been hampered by an injury since 2020, believes that the wrong people were brought into the organization.

- The goals were too big and in my eyes they brought in the wrong people in the wrong positions, says Köll and continues:

- We were young and didn't know what was required.

We brought in a trainer who would take care of all travel planning and training organization himself.

It is simply too much.

Helena Rapaport, who ran the WC in 2019 but has now retired, reasons in a similar way.

- We were appointed a coach who did not suit us well, even though he was very talented.

We didn't progress, but got stuck and became underdogs, she says.

Answers: "Healthy daring"

Since the initiative was launched, two of the top managers at the ski association have quit.

This summer, Karin Stolt Halfvarsson became the new alpine manager.

Despite the criticism from the riders, she defends the investment.

- The resources you have in people and money must be allocated and prioritized.

It was very daring and half won, based on that investment and what was communicated, she says and continues:

- I think we had been hit by criticism as a union regardless.

If we had set goals that were too low, such as that we should be in the top 30 by 2023, then it would have been perceived as intermediate milk.

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The speed effort that fell flat: "No plan was found"