Johann Hagstrom, 30, was part of the relay team that finished fourth at the Olympics and finished 13th in the sprint.
Now Sportbladet can reveal that he is totally poked by the national skateboarding team.
– Of course I’m surprised, he says.
Johann Hagstrom He has just found himself in his new hometown of Östersund where he will be conducting pre-season training in new environments.
But about a week ago, the skater’s life was taken down when national team manager Anders Bystrom heard from him the news that he had been pricked.
– This is correct. When Sportbladet contacted me, I won’t be part of any national team next year, unfortunately enough.
– I received an explanation that I am not getting a place in the national team and that they will invest in the rejuvenation of the Bauhaus (second team).
“Best shape ever”
Pettingen took the Piteå skater to sleep after being in the national team for three years.
– I don’t think I had a very bad year. In the Olympics, I had to run three races and I should be able to win a place.
You go from first team to totally poked, it’s a sharp throw…
Yes, it can happen if you don’t perform or choose to change your focus in your career, but I think I was probably at my best ever at the Olympics. I am very proud of the races I do there. Then it is very heavy. To focus on the Olympics, do it well and it still isn’t enough.
Häggström has in recent seasons been one of the most stable pieces on the men’s team. In 2020, he broke the Swedish podium on the men’s side when he finished third in the Dresden Speedway. At the Olympics, he was eight years old in a sprint qualifier and then ended up outside the semifinals with a thirteenth place finish. He was then 21st in the classic 15-kilometer race, which was enough to get a place in the relay team.
There, he had to surrender in the final stage of the battle for an Olympic medal against France’s Maurice Magnificat and Norway’s Johannes Hosflut Klapow.
“Burning like never before”
Now another fact awaits. The investment is now entirely private with the financial backing of Piteå Elite and its sponsors.
– In terms of motivation, it burns more than ever, I want to show them. To do it my own way and be back in the championship again. The biggest difference will be financial, the compensation that the national team receives leads to a lot in everyday life, and it will be noticeable in the bank account now, says Johann Hagstrom.
What the Swedish national team will look like next season will be presented tomorrow. Sportbladet is looking for national team manager Anders Bystrom for comment.
