The national team selection for the upcoming season could turn into a real shake-up, as several skiers are now giving up their places themselves.

More than half of the team risk losing their spots after a disappointing winter.

“There are others who deserve that place much more than me,” says Marcus Grate, one of those affected.

Considering leaving the national team

Superstar Edvin Anger already stated during the Olympics, which was a disappointment for him, that he did not trust the plan the team had followed throughout the season. Just a few weeks later, the 23-year-old said he was open to leaving the national team. He has since ended his season early.

This stands in sharp contrast to last season, when Anger dominated the U23 World Cup and finished second overall in the World Cup standings, only behind Johannes Høsflot Klæbo. This winter, however, has been a disaster for the Swedish star. He has also called for the national team management to step down.

Veteran Emil Danielsson shares the same view.

“My season? No, it was just rubbish,” he tells Expressen.

They are two of the seven male skiers who were selected for the elite national team last year. The other five are William Poromaa, Gustaf Berglund, Jens Burman, Oskar Svensson, and Marcus Grate. All of them have performed worse this winter than in the previous season.

Dropping themselves

The national team selection for 2026/2027, with the home World Championships in Falun as the clear highlight, will be announced in a few weeks.

“What we do is results-based. If the results are not there, it clearly affects the selection,” says men’s coach Lars Ljung.

Now, several skiers are effectively ruling themselves out.

“It’s not relevant. I’ve performed too poorly. I hope I get a place on Team Bauhaus (the B national team), if they haven’t completely lost faith in me,” says Danielsson.

Burman, Svensson, and Grate also do not expect to be selected again. In addition, Anger is considering leaving the team.

On Tuesday morning, it was also announced that national team manager Anders Byström will step down after six years in the role.

Read More: Steps down after six years: “A good time to step aside”

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