The Associated Press reported that the great Gunde Svan has resigned from his position as Manager of the Swedish national Ski Team. Svan, 47, took the position in late 2007. He was brought on to repair a rift between the Swedish Federation and several of the top athletes in the country. The World Cup team was on the brink of falling apart, with top skiers Mathias and Tobias Fredriksson, Bjorn Lind, and Anders Soedergren splitting from the National Program to form their own team. They were on the verge of being excluded from the World Cup when Svan was brought on, and he successfully brought the athletes back to the National Team.
“I have carried out my assignment,” he said. “I made this decision because of family reasons.
“I know a lot of people talked about the (2010 Vancouver) Winter Olympics, but I never thought so far,” he said. “I promised one season, but extended it by one year.”
