Yesterday, Alvar Myhlback announced that he was not selected for the Junior World Championships squad, which was revealed earlier today. Now, Sweden’s National Team Chief, Anders Byström, explains the decision.

Myhlback World Championships Exclusion – Clear Communication of Requirements

This morning, the Junior World Championships (JVM) squad was announced, and Alvar Myhlback was not among those selected. The news had already surfaced yesterday afternoon, leaving Myhlback visibly disappointed.

“You feel sad not to compete where you want. It’s frustrating how things work. In my view, the best should get the chance. It’s just insane”, Myhlback told SVT.

In an interview with langd.se, National Team Chief Anders Byström explained the reasoning behind the decision.

“It’s like any organization: we communicate the guidelines for the year. Those rules have been clear since autumn. Linda (head of Team Svenska Spel Junior National Team) has directly communicated with Alvar about what was required to be selected for the Junior World Championships. He made a choice not to follow that, which is unfortunate”, Byström stated.

Changing Rules Mid-Season

Byström emphasized that altering the rules during the season could be unfair to other athletes.

“If you change the rules mid-season, you need very strong reasons to do so, especially when everything has been clear from the beginning. All athletes must have the same opportunity; otherwise, it would be unfair to those who have competed as required”, he explained.

“It might seem rigid and bureaucratic, but without structure, it becomes chaotic and impossible for athletes to understand the requirements.”

Byström suggested that the rules could potentially be revised for future seasons:

“Next season, we might soften the guidelines. However, this year’s criteria were clear to everyone, so there shouldn’t be any confusion.”

World Cup Involvement Could Have Changed Things

Byström noted that Myhlback’s lack of consistent participation in the World Cup this season played a role in the decision.

“If he had been a regular in the World Cup, it would have been a different matter because he wouldn’t have been able to compete in junior events. But that wasn’t the case”, Byström explained.

“He received clear instructions and chose to focus on long-distance races for several weekends instead. He was advised to return and compete in Bergforsen, which would have secured his spot. That wasn’t a difficult thing to do, but he chose differently, and we have to respect that”, Byström concluded.

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