The head of Sweden's cross-country ski national team, Anders Byström, has resigned. The announcement was made by the national team. Byström had been in the role for six years and had one year left on his contract but chose to step down early.
He stated it was a difficult decision that emerged after the challenges of the spring, and that he is proud of the team's record-breaking successes in championships and dominance in the World Cup during his tenure. He cited the demanding nature of the job, requiring significant work, engagement, and time away from family. He said it is a good time to step aside now and give someone else the chance to form their team for the 2030 Olympics.
it is a difficult decision that emerged after challenges this spring
In addition to Byström, men's coach Anders Högberg and women's coach Stefan Thomson are also leaving. Thomson said he made his decision before the season. The replacement for Anders Byström is not yet clear, according to the federation.
The resignation follows widespread dissatisfaction within the national team, where some of the criticism has focused on leadership and communication around team selections. Several skiers had directed demands for Byström's resignation. Byström had also been criticized for the handling of the women's 50km race at the Olympics where Sweden fielded only two skiers despite the possibility of including Linn Svahn, who was sent home earlier.
he made his decision before the season
Meanwhile, an extensive evaluation of the national team is underway, more comprehensive than ever before, with over 40 in-depth interviews conducted. Skiers have demanded clearer leadership, more support on home ground, and individual setups. Criticism of conflicts of interest among coaches has been raised.
Decisions on changes are expected within a week. The evaluation work started immediately after returning from the Olympics, conducted by the federation's cross-country chief Lars Öberg and development chief Lars Selin through video interviews with skiers and leaders. Öberg acknowledged that criticism of the national team leadership revealed during World Cup competitions in Falun accelerated the work.
An AI model has been used to summarize the information from the interviews to identify development tracks.