Denmark, Norway and Sweden join for Regional Development Camp Scandinavia
Lillehammer (RWH) The national associations in Denmark, Norway and Sweden have gathered young athletes for Scandinavia’s first regional development camp. Four bobsleigh teams and six skeleton athletes joined the camp at the Lillehammer Olympic rink. As a coaching team, Tommy Aanesen (NOR), Per-Anders von Scheele and Roberth Klarqvist (SWE) and Peter Voigt and Tom Johansen (DEN) followed and guided the athletes.
“The camp serves to promote the IBSF sports of bobsleigh and skeleton in Scandinavia and turn ‘against each other’ into ‘with each other,'” says Tom Johansen, chairman of
Denmark Bobsled & Skeleton. “For about 1000 years, the three nations have argued about the origin of the Vikings. If you ask a Norwegian, he will claim that the Vikings came from his country. And if you ask Swedes and Danes, the same thing happens.” Thus, the three countries want to market their young bobsleigh and skeleton athletes together – as “Sliding Vikings”. In addition to athletic training, the program also includes team building and joint activities to strengthen the connection with each other and with the sport. – Several Scandinavian sports psychologists have proven that, above all, training communities with friendship and fun contribute to staying loyal to a sport, says Tom Johansen.
The Scandinavia development camp ended with a test competition. And as new International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation IBSF jurors took their final trials that weekend, IBSF North American Cup coordinator and jury coach Nicola Minichiello integrated the final race into the trial – a mutual learning effect.
A development camp as it should always be, summed up Tom Johansen, from which all athletes, coaches and team captains enter the season with great motivation.
Photos_ Tom Johansen