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The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be held for financial reasons

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were to be held last summer, are being held solely for financial reasons. The Japanese government cannot legally cancel the Games, as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) owns the event, while Tokyo is contractually obliged to host the Games. It is estimated that a cancellation of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics would result in a total loss of $ 17 billion. In addition, the IOC will be able to face unmanageable lawsuits, both from commercial partners and not least TV companies such as NBCUniversial, BBC and Eurosport, which have exclusive rights to live TV broadcasts from the Games. There is also no doubt that the lack of revenue from the IOC in connection with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics would mean that both the majority of international federations and national Olympic committees would be financially insolvent if the Games were canceled.

Great uncertainty about the individual athletes ‘and teams’ current sporting level

Also from a sporting perspective, more than one question can be asked about the value of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Over the past 18 months, all 33 international federations represented in Tokyo have – to a greater or lesser extent – postponed or canceled both World Championships and Continental Championships such as European Championships, World Cups and Olympic qualifiers. In addition, training camps and other preparations that have been changed or canceled have created a lot of uncertainty and frustrations for athletes, coaches and managers. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will thus be radically different from previous Olympics.

Very big difference in medal chances in the individual sports

Regardless of these unfair conditions for the athletes in several areas, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will include 16 intense competition days, where 10,500 athletes from 204 nations compete for medals, honors and glory in 339 disciplines. Denmark has qualified athletes and teams in 16 sports – exactly the same number as at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Archery, judo and skateboarding, which is a new sport on the Olympic program, have replaced tennis, triathlon and football (men). However, there is a very big difference in the Danish medal chances in the 16 sports. Past World Championship results and continuity at a high international level are crucial for Olympic medal potential. Even for the biggest medal candidates, there is no guarantee of sporting success at the Games. This is partly due to that the Olympics differ markedly from international championships such as the World Championship and the European Championships. The Olympics are only held every four years, the media interest – especially towards “smaller” sports such as rowing, kayaking and shooting – are far bigger than usual and all the athletes live together across sports in the Olympic village. For these reasons, it is also extremely rare for Danish athletes or teams to win medals as Olympic debutants. The most important criteria for Olympic medal candidates are, in my opinion, the athletes ‘and teams’ WC results and especially the continuity of achievements at a high international level within the last 4 years. Athletes and teams that have won WC medals or at least achieved top-8 results at the World Championships, have shown that they can “fight for the medals”. And then analyzes of Olympic results over time show that “only” two medals are realized based on 5 potential medal candidates.

An official target and an “unofficial” list of candidates

The Sports Confederation of Denmark (DIF) and Team Denmark’s official target at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are 8-10 medals. But an “unofficial” list has also been prepared with 20-25 athletes and teams who are medal candidates. Through dialogue, DIF, Team Denmark and the federations have agreed in advance which named athletes and teams in their opinion have the greatest chance of medals and thus also prioritized resources differently in relation to all the athletes and teams, both before and during the Games. There are many different reasons why DIF, Team Denmark and the federations fail to publish the “unofficial list” of medal candidates – and leave it to the media, TV viewers and others’ more or less qualified guesses. But let me name some of the athletes and teams that, in my opinion, have the greatest medal chances in Tokyo.

The team pursuit and Mørkøv/Hansen as the biggest medal candidates

In my opinion, Denmark has the vast majority and some of the largest in cycling – and especially in track cycling. The biggest medal candidates are the team pursuit, which at the most recent the UCI World Championship in February 2020 became World Champions and set no less than three world records. The team, which consisted of Lasse Norman Hansen, Julius Johansen, Frederik Rodenberg and Rasmus Pedersen, has also shown great stability at the WC 2018 (silver) and WC 2019 (bronze) since the 2016 Rio Olympics, where the team won bronze. In addition to Denmark, Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand and Italy also have good medal chances. Among the biggest Danish medal candidates in Tokyo are also 36-year-old Michael Mørkøv and 29-year-old Lasse Norman Hansen. Both Mørkøv (2008) and Hansen (2012 and 2016) have previously won Olympic medals and at the WC 2020 they became the supreme world champions in madison. Mørkøv and Hansen’s great routine and technical skills make them, in my opinion … gold favorites.

Reigning Olympic and World Champions will always be (big) favorites

As reigning Olympic Champions (2016) and double World Champions (2019 and 2021), the men’s team handball are also among Denmark’s biggest medal candidates. The team has an incredible width and top quality in all positions on the field, both goalkeeper, defense and attack. The Olympic tournament, where as many as 8 out of 12 teams qualify for the quarterfinals after 5 group matches, means that the matches in my opinion only become “really serious” in the quarter finals and forwards. Denmark is (big) favorite for the gold medals, but Spain, France and our Nordic neighbors – Sweden and Norway – both can and would very much like to challenge the Danish national team. But I think the mens team handball manage to win at least a medal.

Two mentally strong girls can win Olympic medals on the water

I also believe in the Danish Olympic medal in sailing, where especially Anne-Marie Rindom (Laser Radial), who has just turned 30, is one of Denmark’s biggest medal candidates. Anne-Marie participates for the 3rd time at the Olympics and she won a bronze medal in 2016. In addition, Anne-Marie has a number of international top results, including World Championship bronze medal (2018) and World Championship gold medal (2019). The latter performance meant i.a. that Rindom in 2019 was named the world’s best sailor across all Olympic boat types by World Sailing – as the first Dane ever. I believe that Anne-Marie Rindom’s biggest competitors in Tokyo will be the reigning Olympic Champion and 4-time World Champion Marit Bouwmeester from the Netherlands and Emma Plasschart from Belgium, who won World Championship in 2018.

Kayaker Emma Aastrand Jørgensen, who won Olympic silver medal in Rio, is also among Denmark’s biggest medal candidates. And she even has, in my opinion, a medal chance in both K1 200 and K1 500. Emma always shows – like Anne-Marie Rindom – an incredibly high bottom level and great mental strength – at international championships. Her biggest competitor for the medals in Tokyo will undoubtedly be Lisa Carrington from New Zealand, who is a double Olympic Champion (2012 and 2016) as well as World Champion in K1 200 at the last 7 World Championships. Also Danuta Kozák from Hungary and Volka Khudzenka from Belarus in K1 500 and Marta Walczykiewicz from Poland on K1 200 will in my opinion challenge the 25-year-old Jørgensen from Maribo.

The tall native from Funen against one of Japan’s biggest medal candidates

Denmark also has proud Olympic traditions in badminton, most recently with Olympic bronze medal in 2016 to Viktor Axelsen. I also think that Viktor, who became World Champion in 2017, has really good medal chances in Tokyo, i.a. due to a seeding to a semifinal. The biggest favorites for the Olympic medals – besides Axelsen – are in my opinion Kento Momota with a very enthusiastic home crowd behind him, Chou Tien Chen from Taiwan and Anthony Ginting from Indonesia. Anders Antonsen (World Championship silver medal 2019), who is also seeded for a semi-final, may surprise the other medal candidates.

Great chance for the first Olympic medal for the Faroe Islands

Denmark has won medals in rowing at the last 6 Olympic Games. The biggest medal chances in Tokyo must definitely be awarded to Sverri E. Nielsen in singles sculls. The Faroese, which i.a. has won World Championship silver medal in 2019, has had a very marked progress in the last 2-3 years. Among his biggest competitors are the reigning World Champion Oliver Zeidler from Germany and Kjetil Borch from Norway, but the Faroese seem purposeful and highly motivated to win the first ever Olympic medal for the proud kingdom of islands in the middle of the Atlantic.

The battle for the split seconds and the Olympic medals

The last of the biggest Danish medal candidates is in my opinion the swimmer Pernille Blume, who very surprisingly won Olympic gold nedal in 2016 in the 50 meter freestyle. Blume has also achieved good results after the Olympic triumph in Rio, i.a. 4th places at both the World Championship 2017 and the World Championship 2019. The Olympic final, which swims on Sunday 1’st August, will be decided within a few hundred or maybe thousandths of a second. And among the candidates for the medals are – in addition to Blume – Sara Sjöström from Sweden, who won three Olympic medals in Rio, Ranomi Kromowidjojo from the Netherlands and the two Australians: Emma McKeon and Cate Campell, who have swum in the two fastest times of the year in 50 meters freestyle.

Denmark wins at least ten medals – and there will also be surprises

DIF and Team Denmark “… expect that the 8-10 medals will be won in cycling, handball, sailing, kayaking, badminton, swimming, horseback riding, rowing and shooting”. I believe that Denmark will win at least 10 Olympic medals, but not in more than 7 sports. There will be some of the above athletes and teams who do not come home with medals. And there will certainly also be athletes and teams who (very) surprisingly come home with medals – maybe even some who are not on the “unofficial” list of potential medal candidates. It is not least these surprises that make the Olympics something completely extraordinary – also for the athletes.

You can read more about the 2020 Olympics here:

https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en

https://ol2020.dif.dk

Bonnucci – part of the world’s strongest defense quartet

The 34-year-old Leonardo Bonnucci was born and raised in Viterbo – a provincial town with 70,000 inhabitants a little north of Rome – where he also played youth football. As an 18-year-old, he signed a contract with the Milan club Inter, which quickly rented him out to Serie B clubs such as A.C. Treviso, S.S.C. Bari and C.F.C Genoa. It was only with the change in 2010 to the big club Juventus F.C. that Bonnuci’s national and international career really took off. Bonnuci became a defensive partner with the experienced national team player Andrea Barzagli and the two year older Giorgio Chiellini. And with goalkeeper legend Gianluigi Buffon as extra guard behind the three back-backs. A quartet that in record time developed into the world’s strongest football defense.

Chiellini – “The old lady’s defense general”

The 36-year-old Giorgio Chiellini was born in Pisa and already at the age of 16 he made his debut for Serie C club A.S. Livorno Calcio. After short stays in A.S. Roma and A.C.F. In 2005, he signed a contract with Juventus F.C., which he has represented for the past 16 seasons. Results with “La Vecchia Signora” are completely unique: 9 national championships, 5 cup titles and more than 400 matches in Serie A. In addition, more than 70 matches in the Champions League, where he has been a losing finalist twice (2015 and 2017). Chiellini was already selected for the Italian U-16 at the age of 15 and in 2005 he made his debut on the Italian A national team. Chiellini is today facing his 6th international finals (European Championships 2008, 2012 and 2016 as well as the World Cup 2010 and 2014) – and maybe not even the last. However, Chiellini has been badly injured in recent seasons, but Juventus’ new head coach Massimilano Allegri has just stated that he is betting on the duo Bonnuci and Chiellini as key figures when Juventus try to reclaim the national championship – “Scudetto” – next season.

A unique partnership with world-class core competencies

The two Siamese twins – Chiellini and Bonucci – have been the central defense over the past decade, both at Juventus F.C. as on the Italian national team. They have both passed more than 100 international matches and together with Gianluigi Buffon, who achieved 161 international matches in the period 1997 – 2017, the two class players have created respect and recognition far beyond “the boot country”. Both Chiellini and Bonucci have a number of physical, technical, tactical and mental qualities, but the core competencies of the two are different. Bonnuci in particular possesses technical skills at an unusually high level, being able to launch attacks with long and precise passes. He is far from one of the fastest defenders, but his positioning ability and game intelligence have international top quality. Chiellini is undoubtedly one of the world’s strongest defenders in the man-to-man game. In addition, he has a very strong header, both in defense and offense. Furthermore, he is – both verbally and playfully – a natural conductor of his teammates, which has also made him captain, both on club and national teams. The two players’ core competencies thus complement each other and so many years of cooperation between the two also give a very special trust and belief in each other. As they have put it in a double interview in the largest Italian sports newspaper “Gazzatta dello Sport”: “We know each other far better than our spouses know us”.

“Gli Azzuri” – No one wins titles solely on strong defensive play

Italy has “only” won the European Championship once, at home in 1968. Only 4 nations – Yugoslavia, the Soviet Union, England and Italy – participated in the final round, where the semi-final between Italy and the Soviet Union ended without a goal despite extended playing time. The finalist – Italy – was then found by drawing lots outside the two changing rooms. Italy has been represented in a total of 9 out of 15 European Championship tournaments and twice the “azure” have been losing finalists (2000 and 2012). I believe that Italy has a very good chance of reaching either the semi-finals or the final of UEFA EURO 2020. The lack of qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2018 has in many ways been a turning point for the proud football nation and under the leadership of former world-class striker Roberto Mancini. Italy had won all matches in the European Championship qualifiers and is undefeated in the last 27 international matches. A world-class goalkeeper in the form of Gianlugi Donnarumma from AC Milan, who has lifted the legacy of Gianluigi Buffon and the Juventus duo – Bonnuci and Chiellini – have not conceded goals in the last eight internationals. However, a strong defense today is not enough to win either the European Championship or the World Cup trophy. The optimism among the Italians is therefore also linked to a very exciting midfield trio consisting of the class players: Marco Verratti from Paris Saint-Germain, Jorginho from the Champion League winners Chelsea and the super-talented Nicolo Beralla from the national champions Inter. At the forefront are the profiles of the “azure” Ciro Immobile from S.S. Lazio, Federico Chiesa from Juventus F.C. and Lorenzo Insigne of S.S.C. Naples.

Better ten wins at 1-0 than one win at 10-0

On Friday night, the captain of “Gli Azzurri” – Giorgio Chiellini – together with his teammates will do everything to give Italy a good start to UEFA EURO 2020 with a victory or at least a draw against Turkey – a nation that Italy has never lost to. Chiellini stated a few years ago that “… I would much rather win ten matches with 1-0 than one match with 10-0”. If it happens in the coming weeks, the road to another great triumph for the “azure” will be open – Forza Italia!

You can read more about Italian football in this blog:

«La bella momenti della vita» – about the values of life and football | MA57 Consulting

“Blind” trust in sports organizations

Sports organizations such as the Sport Confederation of Denmark (DIF) and DIF’s federations, Danish Gymnastics and Sports Associations (DGI) and the Danish Company Sports Confederation (DFIF) have throughout decades fought for a clear division of roles and division of labor in relation to the state: The state must “invest” as many as possible resources (money) in the sports organizations, which “carried by volunteers”, in turn, must contribute to the “best interests of society” without government interference. This separation has only been challenged quite a few times when the sports organizations – nationally and internationally – have not been able to independently solve certain tasks satisfactorily. Establishment of state institutions such as Team Denmark (1985), The Danish Foundation for Culture and Sports Facilities (1993), Anti Doping Denmark (2004) and The Danish Institute for Sports Studies (2004) are examples where changing governments and the Danish Parlament have assumed (co)responsibility for legislation through the “challenges” and development of sport. Otherwise, trust in and respect for the autonomy and sovereign self-determination of sports organizations has been widespread among the political parties. Yes – it has actually been close to “blind”.

State subsidies for sports through funds are only historically

The state support for sports is completely unique compared to other recipients of state support. The reason for this is purely historical. The starting point for state subsidies for sports was the introduction of pools on the results of Danish football matches in the late 1940s, when a state company was established: Dansk Tipstjeneste A / S (today “Danske Spil”). The profits from the pools on football matches should go to the children and youth work in the sports organizations. And the reason was that the sport made matches available for pools. The distribution of profits between the organizations was primarily determined on the basis of the size of the organizations in the form of association and membership numbers. These basic principles have – even after the introduction of the lottery in the late 1980s – been in force. However, there is no logical justification for maintaining this particular form of funding, as virtually all the means of distribution today are related to lottery, scratch cards and games at international matches and championships, both in and out of sport. For this reason, the state’s subsidies for sports – both for established sports organizations such as DIF, DGI and DFIF and state institutions such as Team Denmark, Anti Doping Denmark and the Local and Civil Engineering Fund – just like all other areas of society should be regulated by the Finance Act.

Sports organizations have a real monopoly on state subsidies

State subsidies by the Finance Act will also give the elected politicians, (culture)minister and the government the opportunity to continuously decide on the scope and distribution of state support for sports. However, the establishment of a Ministry of Sports will require an active state sports policy with a government and a resort minister as an offensive partner and opponent, both towards the voluntary sports organizations, the state sports institutions and all other actors in sports. Today, Danish sports are unfortunately totally dominated by the two largest sports organizations’ real monopoly on state subsidies. In the last decade, despite completely changed sports patterns, both among children, young people, adults and the elderly, DIF and DGI have succeeded in convincing virtually all political parties through conscious, strategic cooperation and targeted political lobbying. The sports organizations – “only” they are granted a sufficient amount of money – can solve virtually all sports, exercise and health tasks. An example of this is the campaign “Move for life”, which is based far more on rhetoric and advertising slogans than on analyzes and research. It was unwise when the previous government, with the support of a broad majority in the Danish Parlament in 2014, chose to leave all initiative and finances to the DIF/DGI cartel in the form of a freeze on state subsidies for a period of more than 10 years. The vision that “… Denmark must be the world’s most sports-active nation” sounds immediately very sympathetic and attractive, but it is just as immeasurable and unvarnished as the statement that “Danes must be the world’s happiest population”.

State subsidies “overlook” new forms of activity and organization

The freezing of state subsidies for more than ten years is also a gigantic political failure of the many new entrepreneurs, innovators and facilitators who have emerged outside the organized association life in recent decades. Self-employed entrepreneurs, innovative companies, digital services, non-traditional facilities and networks for the socially disadvantaged have created fertile ground for new sports activities that can neither – nor should – be offered and taken care of by the established sports organizations. Sports organizations such as DIF and DGI have many, valuable qualities, but the state should also relate to and possibly provide financial support for new forms of activity and organization, which can supplement the traditional associations and perhaps even (re)vitalize sports as a dynamic cultural phenomenon.

Great need for new state legislation on elite sports

Also in elite sports, there is a great need for a far more offensive state sports policy. The Minister of Culture, the Government and the Parlament have just wasted an obvious opportunity for a thorough revision of the Act on Elite Sports in connection with the so-called “swimming case”. Instead of a few modest additions to the existing law, one should to a much greater extent relate to the location and development of Danish elite sports in an international context, where professionalization, globalization and not least a violent commercialization have created significantly greater inequalities between individuals. sports and made visible a number of “shadow pages” of elite sports such as corruption, match-fixing, the sale of clubs to international private equity funds and the profiling of dictatorial regimes through sporting events. These are issues that any responsible government should deal with and not, as today, leave “sovereign” to the sports organizations or “close their eyes to”.

Sport is also politics

If there is no political ability, courage and willingness among the political parties and the government to challenge the real monopoly of the two largest sports organizations as well as to relate to developments in international elite sports, there is absolutely no reason to set up an independent sports ministry. A state sports policy requires both visions and ongoing discussions about the goals and strategies of sports, which go far beyond the sports organizations’ (own) interest and ability. And with that also a (culture) minister and a government that recognizes and appreciates that sport is also politics.

“Raumdeuter” from TSV Pähl

Thomas Müller was born in Weilheim in Upper Bavaria and already as a 5-year-old he joined the local club TSV Pähl. As a 10-year-old, he was recruited to FC Bayern Munich’s youth sector, where he quickly developed both offensive and defensive qualities. As a 15-year-old, he made his debut on the German U-16 national team and he was often used in various offensive positions; Striker, hanging striker, offensive midfielder or wing. Müller’s unique versatility as both a goal scorer and an assisted player was developed in his youth and is therefore no coincidence. Thomas Müller sees himself as a “raumdeuter”, who sees opportunities for himself and his teammates before everyone else, and exploits them due to his many and intense runs. Thomas Müller is far from among the fastest, strongest or best technical football players in the world, but without a doubt among the most game-intelligent.

FIFA World Cup 2010 and FIFA World Cup 2014 – top scorer and among the World Cup’s best players

Thomas Müller made his debut in August 2008 as an 18-year-old for FC Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga against HSV. However, in the first season as a senior he only played 4 matches on the club’s best team. The big breakthrough in the Bundesliga came in the 2009-2010 season, where Thomas Müller played all 34 matches. And with 13 goals and 11 assists, he made a decisive contribution to FC Bayern Munich winning both the national Championship and the DBF cup. Thomas Müller’s fantastic season also meant that national coach Joachim Löw selected him for the German national team. The FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa was the big international breakthrough on “Die Mannschaft” for Thomas Müller, who with 5 goals and 3 assists was a decisive factor behind the team’s World Cup bronze medal. He played all World Cup matches except the semi-final against Spain, where he was out due to quarantine. Thomas Müller became the top scorer of the FIFA World Cup 2010 and he was also named the best young player in the FIFA World Cup 2010.

The biggest international result with “Die Mannschaft” was achieved by Thomas Müller at the FIFA World Cup 2014, which was held in Brazil. Germany won the title for the 4’th time as World champions after superb play throughout the FIFA World Cup 2014. In particular, Germany’s 7-1 victory over the FIFA World Cup host in the semi-finals is a historic match that will be long forgotten, neither in Germany, Brazil nor the rest of the world. With 5 goals, Thomas Müller became the second best World Cup goal scorer after James Rodriguez from Colombia and one of 5 German players on the FIFA World Cup’s All-Star team 2014.

FIFA World Cup 2018 – sporting failure and deselected to “Die Mannschaft”

The FIFA 2018 World Cup, which took place in Russia, became, in contrast to both the FIFA World Cup 2010 and the FIFA World Cup 2014, a sporting failure, both for the German national team and Thomas Müller. Defeats to Mexico and South Korea in the group stage sent the defending World champions home before the FIFA World Cup 2018 had really started. And Thomas Müller had to leave a World Cup without either goals or assists. The personal disappointment for Thomas Müller became even greater when national coach Joachim Löw announced shortly after the FIFA World Cup 2018 that Müller – together with two of his club mates – Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels – were not included in Löw’s plans until the EURO 2020. Thomas Müller has shown play world-class in recent seasons, so it will be a marked weakening of a – anything but impressive – German national team, if Löw fails to select Thomas Müller for the upcoming EURO 2010 finals, where Germany in Munich meets France, Portugal and Hungary in the initial group game. In my opinion, there should be far more than the 100 international matches and 38 goals that Thomas Müller has achieved so far.

A unique interaction between two world-class players

The recent seasons – and not least the 2019-2020 season, where FC Bayern Munich won 5 titles – has been a fantastic period for Thomas Müller. Not least his interaction with the club’s top scorer Robert Lewandowski has been one of the main reasons for the club’s many triumphs. In the free role that head coach Hansi Flick has given him, Thomas Müller has developed into by far the most assisting player in the Bundesliga. And not least the Polish top scorer has benefited from this, as the vast majority of his 35 goals this season and 34 goals last season have come after assists from Thomas Müller. The two sympathetic world-class players are, in my opinion, one of – or perhaps more precisely – the world’s most dangerous attacking duo.

On the track to a club record

FC Bayern Munich’s president Karl Heinz Rummenige has told the German sports magazine Bild very precisely about Müller’s role in the club: “Thomas Müller is definitely one of our absolute biggest profiles, both for training and in matches. He always takes the lead and inspires his teammates. I can not imagine him playing for any other club than ours ”. Several top European clubs – including Liverpool FC, Manchester United and Juventus – have repeatedly tried with millions of euros to lure Thomas Müller away from the Allianz Arena and Säbener Strasse in Munich. But so far he has been faithful to the heart club with a contract until the summer of 2023. And there is no indication that he wants to leave Bavaria, where he – together with his girlfriend – lives on a farm in the countryside and with a great passion for horses.

Thomas Müller has today played 378 matches and scored 128 goals in the Bundesliga for FC Bayern Munich. In addition, 126 matches and 48 goals in the Champions League can be added. He has won 28 titles, including 10 national championships, 6 DBF cup titles, two Champions League championships (2013 and 2020) and a world championship (2014) – merits that have made Thomas Müller the winning German footballer ever. In addition, he will probably also – with almost 600 club matches in his luggage – in the coming years pass the three club legends in FC Bayern Munich: Sepp Meier (700), Oliver Kahn (632) and Gerd Müller (605) – for most matches for the German club . So far, the dream of the curly-haired boy from TSV Pähl was not back in the mid-1990s, when football boots were laced up for the first time. But diligence and faithfulness can bring one far in life – even in football.

Denmark’s second largest team sport – handball – is in a transition phase, where clubs with core values ​​such as voluntariness, inclusion, diversity and social community are under strong commercial pressure. Among Denmark’s absolutely strongest handball clubs with these core values ​​is Skanderborg Handball, which is now changing both club color and logo. The reason is an “equal merger” with Aarhus Handball, which a few days ago was declared bankrupt. Formally, it is (perhaps) a merger and an equal collaboration, but in reality a superstructure is created for Skanderborg Handball’s league team for men. All players, coaches and administrative staff at Aarhus Handball have been released at a time when all other clubs at the same level have already entered into contracts with players and coaches for next season. How many of Aarhus Handball’s players, who are offered a contract with the new superstructure of Skanderborg Handball, will show in the coming weeks.

No one can live (alone) on the memories of the past

In recent days, Aarhus Handball has openly acknowledged that there were simply no more or other opportunities to run the club – or rather the “project” – further. The money box was empty and thus the country’s second largest city – Aarhus – is for the first time since the first national league in men’s handball was held in 1946-1947, not represented by a club. Previously, no less than 7 Aarhus clubs – AGF, Aarhus KFUM, Skovbakken, Viby IF, VRI, Aarhus Fremad and AIA – have played in the national league and no less than 11 times an club from Aarhus has won the national championship. However, the latest national championship is no less than 38 years ago. And no one can live (alone) on the memories of the past.

Three strong talent development environments – GOG, Mors-Thy and Skanderborg

Like Aarhus, big cities such as Copenhagen and Odense have also had immense difficulty in maintaining and not least further developing clubs within top handball for men. For the past 3 decades, league handball for men – in addition to Aalborg – has been dominated by smaller provincial towns such as Kolding, Skjern, Gudme-Oure-Gudbjerg, Silkeborg, Holstebro, Nykøbing Mors and Skanderborg. There are many reasons for this development, but a significant explanation for the success of several of these clubs has been the establishment and development of “handball academies”. The three talent environments that have developed the vast majority and by far the best league and national team players in handball are found in GOG and the Schools in Oure, Mors-Thy Handball and Sports College Mors as well as in Skanderborg Handball and Skanderborg Handball Elite Academy (SHEA). All three environments are characterized by a close and binding collaboration between club and academy, i.a. by common coaches, teachers and professional experts. In my opinion, it can be difficult to immediately see Skanderborg Handball’s benefits and gains from an “equal merger” with Aarhus Handball. In the short term – and perhaps also in the longer term – hopefully greater financial support can be obtained from more sponsors in East Jutland, but there are also risks associated with training and playing matches at two different addresses. Let me just mention KIF Kolding Copenhagen as a scary example.

SHEA is a “golden egg” for Skanderborg Handball … and Danish handball

I hope that Skanderborg Handball in the coming years will maintain the core values ​​and continue to work purposefully to maintain a league team for women and further develop SHEA. At SHEA, young talents aged 15-19 from all over the country have the opportunity to combine high-level handball with a youth education and here the talents meet in everyday life very competent coaches and professional experts – physiotherapists, dieticians and sports psychologists – who can advise and guide them, both on and off the handball field. Current national team players such as Kristina Jørgensen (Viborg HK) and Johan Hansen (TSV Hannover Burgdorf) are good examples of talents who have gained a significant part of their development as players and human beings at SHEA.

Club color and logo are also strong identities

For some people, form is more important than content – for others it is the other way around. And then there are fortunately also some who value both content and form. Many will probably claim that a club color and a logo “only” is form and not content. I think club color and logo are far more than form, namely a strong identity. For that reason, I also hope that Skanderborg Handball will also replace the club case “Green heart” when the new “equal merger” is to be realized. A “new” club color and a “designer logo” is no guarantee of (continued) high quality – not even in Skanderborg Aarhus Handball.

A dictatorial regime with laws and punishments from another era and culture

Qatar, one of the richest countries in the world, is an autocratic kingdom ruled by the Al Thani clan. The country has 2.3 million inhabitants, but only 300,000-400.00 have rights as full citizens of Qatar. The rest are guest workers with temporary residence permits, the vast majority of whom come from poor countries in Asia and Africa. In addition, there is a small percentage of highly educated specialists from Europe and North America. The Al Thani clan holds the vast majority of Qatar’s economic wealth, which is primarily generated through the production of oil and natural gas. The political power is actually placed with the head of the clan: the Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The country has no political parties or elected parliament, but an advisory assembly whose members are appointed by the emir. Sharia, which is based on the ethical and moral rules of Islam, forms the basis of the law in Qatar. One of the rights is that men have the right to more than one female spouse – the same conditions do not apply to women. It is therefore not uncommon for male full citizens in Qatar to have 4-6 wives. Sharia is used especially within the Family, Penal and Inheritance Act. Stoning, whipping and the death penalty are common forms of punishment. In family cases, the woman’s account counts only to an extremely limited extent, just as homosexuality and conversion from Islam are «crimes» punishable by death. The same is infidelity when it is between a Muslim woman and a non-Muslim man. Sexual “offenses” or alcohol consumption are typically punished by whipping or stoning. The form of government and human rights in Qatar are thus miles away from the principles of democratic societies as we know them from Europe and Western civilization.

Many enemies as neighbors – but the United States as a “military friend”

Qatar is a small peninsula – smaller than Jutland – which is connected to the Arabian Peninsula. The relationship with the largest neighbor and dominant superpower in the region – Saudi Arabia – is everything else friendly, which also affects relations with the nearest neighbors: the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Iran. The enmity to the nearest neighbors means i.a. that the borders into Qatar since 2017 have been blocked by a trade blockade. Qatar’s closest ally in the perpetual struggle for independence is the world’s strongest military player: the United States, which has located its military headquarters and main air base in the Middle East outside Qatar’s capital Doha. It is not least for security policy reasons that the Al Thani clan has chosen to use sport as “soft power” to acquire close and strong relations outside the Middle East.

International sporting events as a strategic PR tool

Over the past two decades, Qatar has systematically and strategically used international sporting events to gain political goodwill and, not least, to develop commercial networks within the global sports industry. The largest international sporting events held in Qatar in recent years include Asian Games (2006), World Championship in handball (2015), World Championship in cycling (2016) and the World Championship in athletics (2019). The FIFA World Cup 2022 is the next showcase, but the “crown jewel” for Qatar will certainly be to host the Olympic Games 2032. An essential element of Qatar’s international sports strategy is the state-owned television company beIN SPORTS, which has television channels in the United States and Canada, but is primarily known for activities in the Middle East and large parts of Asia. The TV company is also strongly on its way into Europe, i.a. through a TV deal with the French Football League. TV contracts are today the “key” to being awarded international sports events and in this connection beIN SPORTS, which was created with the TV company Al-Jazzeera as a model, is one of the largest and strongest global TV companies specializing in sports.

Qatar Sport Investments – a new “player” in European club football

In the last decade, Qatar has also, through the state-owned companies – Qatar Sport Investments and Qatar Airways – become financially involved in European club football, e.g. in the French top club Paris Saint-Germain, where the current beINSPORTS president Nasser Al-Kehlïfi is president and owner. In addition, Qatar has major financial interests in the current Champion League champions – the German top club Bayern Munich. The oil state thus posts billions in European top clubs and a few weeks ago Qatar Airways entered into one of the largest sponsorship agreements with UEFA, as the state-owned airline will be the main sponsor at the upcoming EURO 2021 finals this summer.

Money closes the mouths of most… and the strongest

Over the past two decades, Qatar has invested billions in sports that no other major sports nation – the United States, China, Russia, Germany, France or England – comes close to. It is estimated that the oil state will spend 1.4000 billion on stadiums, roads, railways, hotels and infrastructures in connection with the FIFA World Cup 2022. In addition, Qatar has – strategically and deliberately – spread state investment across the globe – from Heathrow Airport and Harrod in London, Volkswagen, Deutsche Bank and Siemens in Germany, the oil company Rosneft in Russia, the investment fund CITC Group in China to properties in New York and Washington DC. Ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in 20 months, independent organizations such as Amnesty International is undoubtedly, with more or less success, trying to focus on the thousands of migrant workers who have lost their lives on construction sites in Qatar. However, despite repeated assurances about reforms and improvements in the conditions of the poor workers, only very modest improvements have taken place over the years. Money closes the mouths of most and…. the strongest. This is how it is (also) in international sports.

Danish clubs are strongly influenced by the global, commercial development

The Danish football clubs’ finances in the form of TV income, transfers of players, sponsorship income and Matchday income are of course on a completely different level than the clubs in the biggest European leagues. The annual turnover of Danish top clubs such as FC Copenhagen and FC Midtjylland is less than 15% of the annual turnover of bottom clubs in the Premier League such as Fulham F.C. and Sheffield United or top clubs like Norwich City F.C. and Swansea City A.F.C. from Championship. Nevertheless, the ownership structure of many Danish clubs is also undergoing significant change due to the global, commercial development within international club football. Since the English businessman Matthew Bentham, who also owns the English Championship club Brentford FC, in 2014 bought the majority of the shares in FC Midtjylland, 9 out of 24 clubs in the country’s two best leagues – the Super League and the Nordic Bet League – have been acquired by foreign investors who own more than half of the clubs’ shares.

The majority of Danish clubs on their way to “foreign hands”

FC Nordsjælland, which for a number of years has collaborated with the English businessman Tom Vernon’s “Right to Dream Academy” in Ghana, was bought a few months ago by the Egyptian “Mansour Group”. SønderjyskE was bought last autumn by the American financial matador Robert Platek, who a few weeks ago also bought the Italian Serie A club Spezia. In addition, Vejle Boldklub from the Super League has also come “into foreign hands” by Andrej Zolotko – a former player agent from Moldova – and the Chinese player agent Lucas Chang. And most recently, three more Super League clubs – Randers FC, AC Horsens and AaB – have offered themselves to potential foreign investors. It is thus very realistic that more than half of the Super League clubs will in a short time be owned – in whole or partly – by foreign investors. This is already the case in the second best row, where half of the clubs – Vendsyssel FF, Fremad Amager, FC Helsingør, Esbjerg fB and HB Køge – within the last 2-3 years have been acquired by foreign investors. There are several explanations for this development.

Danish clubs as a “springboard” to a major league

Firstly, Danish clubs are a relatively easy and cheap access for international club owners to bring young players from especially Africa and South America to one of Europe’s strongest leagues, where transfers of players have been exponentially increasing in recent years. It is not uncommon for the sale of a talented striker to the second-best league in England – the Championship – to bring in up to £ 10 million. And the amounts are of course significantly higher if it succeeds in selling or reselling players to the five biggest leagues in Europe: Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga and Ligue 1. The Danish clubs are thus used primarily as a “springboard” , as it is easy to get a residence and work permit as a football player in Denmark, no matter where you come from in the world. The easy access to residence permits is a great advantage for club collaborations, which have become increasingly widespread in international football.

Foreign investors typically own several clubs in Europe

Secondly, Danish clubs that have foreign owners typically enter into a formal collaboration or informal network with other clubs in Europe. The collaborations are characterized by an investor or a circle of investors buying the majority of shares in two or more clubs, which i.a. is the case in Esbjerg f.B. The traditional club was acquired a few weeks ago by an American and Chinese investor group, which also owns the majority shares in the English Championship club Barnsley FC, AS Nancy from France, KV Oostende from Belgium and FC Thun from Switzerland. Barnsley FC and AS Nancy in particular have significantly greater sporting and financial potential with the three clubs from the smaller leagues, which will primarily function as “a food chain” for young, cheap talent and as good talent development environments. In addition, the clubs can also easily borrow or rent the individual players across the individual clubs by a joint group of owners.

Low levels of wages and well-organized society

Thirdly, the Danish rules mean that the players from e.g. Africa and South America do not have to have a particularly high wage, compared to other European countries such as Netherlands. The relatively open business model in Denmark is something that attracts foreign investors. There are not many restrictions either from the Danish authorities or from the Danish Football Association (DBU) and the Association of League Clubs (Divisionsforeningen) if you want to buy a Danish football club. In addition, Denmark is also a stable and well-organized country with a strong infrastructure and a high level of education. Finally, many of the young players from Africa and South America also come to a country where most speak English – a language that the talents can greatly enjoy and benefit from later in their careers.

FCN and FCM have sold many talents through strong academies

Fourthly, Danish club football has also been able to develop some very strong football academies, especially in FC Nordsjælland and FC Midtjylland. At these academies, a number of “salable talents” have been developed, both from Africa, South America and Denmark, which have been successfully sold and resold to strong clubs in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. These include Emre Mor (Borrusia Dortmund), Mohammed Kudus (Ajax) and Mikkel Damsgaard (U.C. Sampdoria) from FCN and Simon Kjær (AC Milan), Pione Sisto (Celta Vigo) and Paul Onuacho (KRC Genk) from FCM. About clubs such as Vendsyssel FF, Helsingør FC and Fremad Amager are also able to develop talents similar to FCN and FCM is in my opinion extremely questionable.

Foreign investors involve (also) great risks

Of course, it is not odious that foreign investors invest capital in Danish football clubs. And there are many indications that most foreign owners have bought several of the clubs relatively cheaply. In my opinion, however, there are several risks in that the majority of shares in a Danish football club are placed with one or a few foreign investors without local affiliation in the club. I do not think that foreign investors will maintain their commitment to the club, unless marketable players are developed within a foreseeable period of time – only thereby will a “reasonable” return on the “investment” be achieved. And in that connection, in my opinion, there is only room for 3-4 attractive talent academies in a small country like Denmark with only 5 million. inhabitants.

NHL – One of the world’s strongest sporting leagues

Since he watched his first hockey match in Vojens Skøjtehal as an 8-year-old, Søvsø has had a strong passion for the world’s fastest team sport. Hockey has “gone in the blood” on Søvsø, who has now for more than 25 years written books about Danish hockey and been a freelance journalist about the NHL for i.a. Jyllands-Posten, Information and Herning Folkeblad. Today, Søvsø is also editor-in-chief of the Danish Ice Hockey Federation’s website – Metalligaen.dk. It is thus a highly professionally competent “hockey journalist”, which gives the reader knowledge about 14 boys who for a number of years have trained hard with lots of opt-outs to realize and live out the dream of playing in one of the world’s sporting, financial and spectator strongest leagues. The book begins with two chapters – “Ice Age in Denmark” and “NHL’s Holy Grail” – which gives the reader a solid background knowledge, partly about the start and development of ice hockey in Denmark and partly about the game’s origins in the middle of the 19th century on frozen lakes in Canada and the northern states of the United States. The subsequent power struggles between different federations that the right to organize games for the best teams in North America is also interesting reading – especially for “hockey historians”.

Danish World Championship success – among the world’s 16 best in two decades

The first hockey matches in Denmark were played on Peblingesøen in Copenhagen with KSF as the dominant club. However, it is not until the 1970’s with the construction of indoor ice rinks in many of the municipalities and the “import” of hockey players and coaches from i.a. Canada, USA, Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia and Sweden that the sport became popular in Denmark, especially among boys in cities such as Vojens, Esbjerg, Herning, Aalborg, Frederikshavn, Rødovre, Herlev, Gladsaxe and Rungsted. The national team long tempted a life in the C-group or the bottom of the B-group, but in the spring of 2002 the National team secured a very surprising promotion to the A-group. The debut at the World Championship 2003 was a sensational 5-2 victory over the United States and 2-2 against the later World Champions from Canada. Subsequently, the National team has continuously managed to maintain status among the world’s 16 best nations with WC quarter-finals against Sweden in 2010 and Finland in 2016 and not least the World Championship 2018 at home in Herning and Copenhagen as sporting highlights.

NHL – lots of myths, rivalries and legends

The story of the world’s best hockey league – NHL – and one of the most iconic sports trophies – the Stanley Cup – is full of myths, anecdotes, rituals and legends. Wayne Gretzky, who achieved a number of points, titles, headlines and records that will never be surpassed in the NHL. Likewise, the story of the “Original Six Era”, where six NHL teams from the major traditional hockey cities – Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhaws and New York Rangers for 25 seasons in a row (1942- 1967) in a 6-team league with more than 70 matches as well as semifinals and finals best of 7 matches, created a rivalry that still lives on today more than half a century later. Søvsø’s fascination with the NHL is obvious, but he also openly refers to one of the sport’s “shadow sides”: Staged fights on the ice, where “a healthy fight has been part of the education as an real hockey player”.

Both victories and defeats – on and off the ice

The book contains 14 chapters about both current and former NHL players who had their upbringing in a Danish hockey club, often followed by a period as a youth player in Sweden or a college player in the USA or Canada. In this way, the reader gets knowledge about Danish hockey’s biggest profiles such as Frans Nielsen, Jannik Hansen, Mikkel Bødker, Peter Regin, Lars Eller and Frederik Andersen, but also gets close to current NHL players such as 25-year-old Nikolaj Ehlers – who already has played nearly 400 NHL games for the Winnipig Jets – and Oliver Bjorkstrand, who in my opinion both have good chances of achieving more than 1,000 NHL games and maybe even Stanley Cup triumphs if they avoid serious injuries. The 14 chapters are really good stories, where Søvsø, using various sources – the players, coaches and teammates, general managers and family members – describe sporting highlights in the form of surprising “drafts”, scores, brutal tackles and “golden” and “broken” contracts. But the stories also contain human disappointments – serious injuries, defeat in the last second of the 7th playoff game and uncertain future prospects.

“Grains of Gold” on the road from talent to top athlete

The portraits of the individual players vary, not least because of the players’ different NHL careers: From Frans Nielsen with 15 seasons and more than 900 NHL games for the New York Islanders and Detroit Reds Wings, Lars Ellers triumph as Stanley Cup winner with Washington Capitals in 2018 to Joachim Blichfeld and Aleksander True, who have just started their NHL careers with the San Jose Sharks. The book’s primary target group is all children, young people and adults who have an interest in and passion for hockey, but also coaches, sports managers and parents who are involved in developing children and young people in other sports can get lots of inspiration in the book . Let me just mention four examples of “grains of gold” from players who have had the abilities and not least the motivation and willingness to “go all the way” from talent to NHL profile.

The first coach is (perhaps) the most important

Peter Regin, who is one of Danish hockey’s very best players with 254 NHL matches for Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders and Chicago Blackhawks, have the following comment on the importance of a skilled and passionate youth coach in Herning IK: “Todd Björkstrand is the coach and the person who has had the greatest impact on my career. It was he who managed to get me the last piece over the edge. Going forward in your career, going beyond your comfort zone and Todd pushed for me – all the time… He pushed me while I was at an age where it was important to develop further and it hardened me mentally. He had a huge commitment to us young players and it was his will and passion that drove us to stay and for my part get ready to be a professional athlete. I’m extremely grateful for that ”.

Physical exercise is crucial

Todd Bjorkstrand’s son – Oliver – who is currently in his 6’th season for the Columbus Blue Jackets, also gives good advice, which many talents in team sports can listen to with advantage: ” … it has been important to practice all forms of movement. Athletics allowed me to use my body in a completely different way than when I played football and hockey, and the practice for high jump gave me, for example, strength in jumping and swaying in the back. I’m sure. that I have benefited from it later on”.

Only better by playing against older and better players

Frans Nielsen, who has always been a great role model, both on and off the ice, for the other Danish national team and club mates, gives the following advice to talents in team sports, who “only” focus on offensive skills and results: “It always has been important for me to be matched against the older and stronger players. I could develop my technique and dribble when I met my own cohort, but when I met the “old” players, I had to give everything and fight to be with. That way, I got the chance to develop my physique and my work across the course. If you only dominate, you learn nothing about your defensive game. This was also the case in my career ”.

Success over time lies in the details

Lars Eller, who emphasizes “apprenticeship” as a junior player in the Swedish top club Västra Frölunda and a strong family togetherness as particularly valuable for his career, like many other international top players focuses on the details, both in training and matches: “I am very thorough and work systematically. It’s a big part of my personality and my approach to the sport. Every time I practice, I want to be sure that every second of my practice time benefits me on the ice. For example, I always ally myself with the best and most specific coaches in the off-season, and I go to great lengths to find the best ones. I spend time looking for them and it does not matter what it costs…. I have reached an age where I know I will not get faster, bigger or stronger, but I can still get better ”.

Winter Olympic Games 2022 – new dream for Danish NHL players

Danish hockey with “only” 17 clubs and approx. 3,000 players under the age of 18 have – with fantastic support and efforts from parents, coaches and volunteer leaders – come a long way in developing players into the world’s best league – the NHL. The next “step on the journey” – and my personal dream for Danish hockey – is qualification for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. It will be unique to see NHL profiles like Nielsen, Andersen, Eller, Bjorkstrand and Ehlers fight for Olympic medals against NHL stars like Ovechkin, Crosby, McDavid, Kane and Laine – with the whole world as spectators. As targeted training session ahead of the Winter Olympic Games 2022, you should read Søvsø’s excellent book.

Biathlon is one of the most popular winter sports

Biathlon is a fascinating and extremely demanding sport, which consists of the ski discipline cross-country skiing and precision shooting with a rifle. The combination of many different skills of biathletes – endurance, speed, strategy, precision and concentration – has meant that biathlon, especially in recent years, has developed into one of the most popular winter sports. World Cups like in Oberhof and Ruhpolding in Germany, Hochfilzen in Austria, Anholz in Italy and Holmenkollen in Norway today attract more than 40,000 spectators – in addition to millions of TV viewers from around the world. Biathlon is on the Olympic program with a total of 11 disciplines: 5 for each gender (sprint, pursuit, mass start, individual and relay) and one mix relay with two biathletes of each gender. All disciplines are characterized by the biathletes running several laps over a certain distance – typically between 7.5 km and 20 km – and several times along the track the biathletes fire 5 shots at 50 meters, either in a lying or standing position. The diameter of the disc is 45 millimeters for lying shooting and 115 millimeters for standing shooting.

Johannes Thingnes Boe – on the way to legend status after Bjoerndalen and Fourcarde 

Johannes Thingnes Boe, who was born and raised in Stryn in Western Norway as the youngest of a sibling group of five, already showed as a junior a unique talent as a biathlete. Boe won 3 gold medals at the World Championship for juniors in 2012 and already the following season he won his first World Cup victory, qualified for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi and achieved a impressing 3’rd place in the overall World Cup. Subsequently, the 27-year-old Norwegian has been one of the world’s best biathletes with 3 Olympic medals, 20 World Championship medals and no less than 52 World Cup victories. However, it was not until the 2018-2019 season that the sympathetic Norwegian managed to win the overall World Cup ahead of the French legend – Martin Fourcarde, who won the World Cup 7 seasons in a row. However, for the past two seasons Johannes Thingnes Boe has been by far the most winning biathlete and especially his 6 World Championship medals – 3 gold and 3 silver – at last year’s World Championship in Antholz were of a historic performance.

The four best biathletes in the overall World Cup are Norwegians

Also this season, Johannes Thingnes Boe is the favorite to win the overall World Cup and most World Championship medals, but he is strongly challenged by three other Norwegians: Big brother 32-year-old Tarjei Boe, Johannes Dale and not least the season’s biggest surprise: Sturla Holm Laegreid. The 23-year-old Laegreid has already in his first international season won no less than 4 individual races and in addition achieved 3 podium places, which currently. gives a 2’nd place in the overall World Cup. At first glance, it is difficult to find biathletes from other nations who can seriously threaten the four Norwegians, who after 15 of the season’s 26 individual races are placed in the top four places in the overall World Cup. I believe that the duel for the overall World Cup will only be decided between Boe and Laegreid in the last race of the season: Sunday 21 March 2021 at Holmenkollen in Oslo. In my opinion, the sovereign Norwegian biathletes can in the battle for World Championship medals be challenged by the two Frenchmen – Quentin Fillon Mailet and Emilie Jacquelin – Arnd Peiffer from Germany, the two Swedes – Sebastian Samuelsen and Martin Ponsiluoma – and the Russian Alexander Loginov, who has previously been banned for 2 years due to doping, and the veteran Jakov Fak, who has advantage of home at the World Championship.

Marte Olsbu Røiseland – “Champion of Champions 2020”

Marte Olsbu Røiseland, who comes from Arendal in the southern part of Norway, has, like Johannes Thingnes Boe, seriously in the last three seasons marked herself as the world’s best female biathlete. Olsbu Røiseland already made her debut in the World Cup back in the season 2012-2013, but for several seasons she had a very hard time achieving top 10 places, both at the World Cup and the World Championships. At the IBU World Championship 2020, however, 30-year-old Olsbu Røiseland became a major international breakthrough. She became the first biathlete ever to win 7 World Championship medals – 5 gold and 2 bronze – out of 7 possible. A fantastic performance, which led to the selection of Olsbu Røiseland as the world’s best female athlete in 2020 – “Champion of Champions” – by the French sports magazine “L ‘Equipe”.

Olsbu Røiseland, Eckhof or Oeberg win the overall World Cup

Olsbu Røiseland has won a total of 2 Olympic medals, 12 World Championship medals and 8 World Cup victories. And now all indications are that for the first time in her career she has good chances of winning the overall World Cup. Among Olsbu Røiseland’s worst competitors for both the World Championship medals and the overall World Cup is her friend and training partner Tiril Eckhof, who is currently occupies 2’nd place in the overall World Cup – only 8 points behind Olsbu Røiseland. Also Hanne Oeberg from Sweden, who is currently occupying 3’rd place in the overall World Cup – only one point behind Eckhof – is a serious threat for Olsbu Røiseland, both in the World Cup and for the World Championship medals. Also among the women, I believe that the winner of the World Cup will only be found between Olsbu Røiseland, Eckhof and Øberg in the last race of the season – Sunday 21 March 2021 – at Holmenkollen in Oslo. Candidates for next week’s World Championship medals include Dorthea Wierer from Italy, Lisa Theresa Hauser from Austria, Franziska Preuss from Germany and Julia Simon from France. In particular, Simon and Hauser showed impressive form at the recent World Cup in Antholz.

IBU World Championship 2021 as a benchmark for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games

The upcoming World Championship will also give signals about the individual biathletes and nations’ potential at next year’s Winter Olympic Games, which will take place in Beijing in the period February 4 – 20, 2022. There is no doubt that the most medal candidates for the world’s strongest winter sports nation – Norway – must be found in biathlon. World-class athletes such as Johannes and Tarjei Boe, Dale and Laegreid in the men competitions as well as Olsbu Røiseland, Eckhof and Tandrevold in the women competitions will be exponents of a large number of Olympic medals and in my opinion also significantly more than the 6 Olympic medals – of which “only” one of gold – which Norway won at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang.

You can find relevant information about biathlon on the following websites:

• International Biathlon Union – https://www.biathlonworld.com 
• TV2 Sport – https://play.tv2.dk/programmer/sport/oevrig-sport/skiskydning

Elite sports are not black or white – but with many colors

In recent years – both nationally and internationally – there has been an increasing focus on elite athletes’ mental health and well-being – or rather lack well-being. Personal stories in the media about eating disorders, performance anxiety, depression, dissatisfaction, unethical behavior and sexual abuse among coaches and managers have seriously shown the “shadow sides” of elite sports. And by the way, the positive gains of elite sports for the athletes in the form of increased self-confidence and stronger self-esteem, courage, will and mental toughness have been dragged into the background. Several international research projects have indicated that increasing demands and increased pressure from the environment on the individual athlete can have detrimental effects on the athletes’ mental health and well-being. This development has also led international organizations such as the International Society of Sport Psychology (ISSP), the European Federation of Sport Psychology (FEPSAC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to launch a number of initiatives that can further focus on the topic.

First Danish research project on the mental health and well-being of elite athletes

The aim of the Danish research project is to investigate mental health and well-being among Danish elite athletes, including the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms in male and female elite athletes. In addition, the aim is also to identify both mental risk factors (eg injuries, overtraining, stress, deselection and lack of sleep) and promoting factors (eg social support from family and friends, well-functioning training environments and certain personality traits of the individual athlete) in relation to his or her mental health and well-being, both in and outside of elite sports.

Athletes from individual sports and team sports with different mental health profiles

The research project’s respondents are 612 Danish elite athletes from 18 different sports who have answered an anonymous online version of the “Holistic Athlete Mental Health Survey”. The elite athletes represent both individual sports (including athletics, badminton, cycling, swimming, triathlon and tennis) and team sports (including basketball, football, handball, ice hockey and volleyball). The athletes were on average 19 years old and practice their elite sport at the national or international level. Based on the responses, the elite athletes were divided into three categories: “Strong mental health profile”, “Moderate mental health profile” and “Weak mental health profile”. Subsequently, differences and similarities between elite athletes in the three categories were analyzed based on a Kruskal-Wallis test.

Danish elite athletes have the same mental health profile as elite athletes in other countries

The results of the research project show that the vast majority of Danish elite athletes – 75% or 3 out of 4 – experience either average or high well-being in everyday life. This proportion is slightly higher than the Danish population in the same age group. Relatively few athletes – 14% – indicated that they had experienced moderate (10%) or severe symptoms (4%) of anxiety within the past two weeks, while 80% – or 4 out of 5 – stated that within the last two weeks two weeks had experienced moderate or no symptoms of depression. 11% of the athletes stated that they had experienced symptoms of both anxiety and depression within the past two weeks. The incidence of severe symptoms of anxiety and depression in Danish elite athletes is at the same level as among the same age group in the population. Likewise, the incidence of symptoms of anxiety and depression among Danish elite athletes is at the same level as among elite athletes in other countries, e.g. Sweden, Australia, Switzerland, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Significant gender differences

Among the research project’s most exciting results is that female elite athletes have a significantly higher incidence of symptoms of anxiety (20% vs. 10%) and depression (28% vs. 18%) than male elite athletes. In addition, female elite athletes also had a significantly lower overall score on mental well-being than male athletes. These marked gender differences are also found outside the world of elite sports, where the proportion of Danish teenage girls with symptoms of anxiety and depression, e.g. at high schools, has been markedly increasing in recent years. Unfortunately, the researchers do not state specific reasons for these gender differences. In turn, the researchers emphasize that there were no differences between athletes in individual sports and team sports. And that examples of dissatisfaction, anxiety and depression occur in all sports and in age groups.

The vast majority of elite athletes thrive really well in elite sports

The research project also shows that 64% – or almost 2/3 – can be categorized as elite athletes with a “strong mental health profile”, 30% of the elite athletes have a “moderate mental health profile” and only a modest minority – 6% – can be categorized as athletes with a “weak mental health profile”. Elite athletes with a “strong mental health profile” experience good social support, both in private life and in elite sports. Athletes with high well-being and absence of symptoms of mental disorders rate their sports environment to be more supportive in terms of self-determination, involvement, priorities, and choices in and outside of elite sports. Athletes with a “weak mental health” show a high degree of dissatisfaction, sleep less and experience far more stressful elements both in private life, in education and in elite sports. And many of these athletes will probably sooner or later opt out of a continued life as the elite athlete. Of course, it is important to focus on these athletes and not least the challenges and dilemmas that these athletes face in training and competitions. But there is also a great risk that coaches and sports managers in clubs and federations can spend (too) many resources on athletes, who basically do not “fit” into the selective and exclusive structure of elite sports. The researchers from SDU do not go so far with their conclusion, but instead point out that there is a need for individual and flexible solutions for the individual elite athlete.

All sports have independent characteristics and special challenges

Unfortunately, the article presenting the research project does not contain an analysis of the athletes’ mental health and well-being in the individual sports. In my opinion, there is no doubt that training culture, environment, scope and content, social relationships between athletes and between coaches and athletes, division of roles and responsibilities and much, much more are very different across individual sports and team sports. For that reason, coaches, sports managers and athletes – both in the researchers’s and in my opinion – should also be extremely careful about setting up “standard solutions” across sports. Among the researchers’ recommendations for clubs and federations, one thing in particular is clear and precise: Young talents must be dressed very well with knowledge and experience from current and former elite athletes and coaches in order to handle pressure, demands and expectations that undeniably come with a life as elite athlete.

The article: “To Flourish or Languish, that is the question: Exploring the mental health profiles of Danish elite athletes” (Psychology of Sport & Exercise, No. 52 – 2021) can be requested by contacting Associated Professor Andreas Küttel (mail: akuttel@health.sdu.dk).