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What happened to the Downhill Swedish? A jump into the past

Because you don't see more Swedes in the world cup downhill? Let's take a dip in the past.

Team Sweden MTB 1990
Team Sweden in 90: Malin Lindgren and Tommy Johanon can be seen on the right - © Ville Nordin

This is the story of how, in the early days of mountain biking, Sweden became one of the strongest nations on the World Cup circuit. Downhill.

In the era before the Internet took off, the World Cup was run, and it was run as it is now, except that the communication was different and while in other major sports the memories remained and there is no shortage of "remastered" videos, that is, brought back into vogue with more recent technologies, a lot of information has been lost in minor sports.

Malin Lindgren

Malin Lindgren Scott
© Stephan Bögli / Scott USA

Does this name tell you something? Even if you are the most experienced in the MTB world probably not, and you can't find much info either. Malin Lindgren raced at the time of Anne-Caroline Chausson and Missy Jupiter, two giants with whom Malin shared a podium in world cup in 1997 in Kaprun. “It was my first elite podium in Downhill and I remember running with a broken foot. I had a big crash in training and I knew something was wrong, but I decided to ignore it: funny what a little adrenaline can do to you”. – reports Malin Lindgren in an article by Hanna Jonsson on redbull.com.

This wasn't the first or last big podium - or accident - Malin would have had. Together with an ever-growing group of fast-paced Swedish athletes, she had begun to climb the world results since the early 90s and Sweden has become a strong and powerful nation in the world of mountain biking.

malin-scott-2
Malin Lindgren - © Stephan Bögli / Scott

THE BEGINNINGS

In 1990 the first World Championship of downhill announced by the UCI. Like any new discipline, it attracted riders from all over who saw in this new discipline a reason to stand out.

"We were an eclectic group of people, a bit similar to those we saw at the beginning of enduro mtb in our time“, Says Tommy Johansson ad Hanna Jonsson. “I remember that cyclocross riders were particularly good in the first couple of years, as they had both the fitness and the skills to ride in mud, but eventually the courses got too technical and BMX and even motocross athletes started to arrive.".

"Then it seemed that it was us (Swedes, ed) and the British against the French and the Italians".

1992 World Cup in La Bourboule, FRANCE

Medals

Tommy Johanson
Tommy Johanson

One of the best performances in world championships was just by Tommy Johanson Durante i Vail World Cup, Tommy finished 2nd behind the Frenchman Francois Gachet, grabbing a very important silver medal.

Obviously there were others, such as the 3rd place of Malin Lindgren and Tobias Westman at the Juniores World Championships in '92 e '97.

At that time a national series was also born with 6/7 races throughout the year. Another talent emerges in those years, it is Johan Engström, who grabs a 2nd place in the world cup in 1995, becoming a stable athlete in the world top 10 and moving to the Volvo Cannondale Team in the following years, having as teammates the champions Anne Chausson, Cédric Gracia and Brian Lopes.

Johan Engström at the Les Gets World Cup

Johan remembers those days: “We had good salaries, exciting races and pretty wild parties. Then Shaun Palmer came on the scene, turning everything upside down - in a good way". Palmer asked for a higher pay, so everyone was thrown onto the ladder and instead of lycra the riders started wearing baggy motocross clothing.

Who is Shaun Palmer? Read her story.


With Johan Engstrom and Malin Lindgren leading the Swedish team, the downhill it was really peaking in the second half of the 90s. Malin continued to race with Scott and, shortly after, Kristian Eriksson stands out, a boy who beats the competition in the national field, conquering a 3rd place in 2000 World Cup in Leysin. But then, as he arrived, he disappears from international events.

The beginning of the end

1999 was a pivotal year in many ways. By achieving continuous growth in the international arena, we have arrived at Are World Championships in Sweden. A lot of bad luck for the Swedish top riders: Tommy Johanon got a puncture and Johan Engström crashed in the middle of the descent. Kristian Eriksson was the best Swede: 6th place for him. With Malin Lindgren 8th among women.

Tommy Johanon reports how in 2000 all professionals suddenly quit and a void was created that would have become impossible to fill. "In one year we have gone from having 5 pros on the world circuit to none”Remembers Tommy ad Hanna Jonsson.

“It was never a joint decision to all quit at the same time, we never even talked about it, it just happened. I wondered afterwards if it was fair to the sport,” admits Malin Lindgren. “I had to stop, I had big thumb problems from a crash, so I couldn't take it any longer and I also didn't get along with the new team manager. I've felt a bit bitter since Red Bull approached me about sponsorship the same year I decided to quit." Johan Engstrom recalls his retirement thus: “I suffered from old falls and ended up living in a suitcase practically. I had had my peak, I got to have a great time of riding and have fun. It was time to settle down."

And just like that, Sweden went from emerging nation to nation in search of professional athletes. There was no basic construction of the mountain bike system but only excellent individualities emerged without any programming.

As a reminder of the old days, let's hope Sweden will roar again as they knew how to do.



Written by

[email protected] I am a fan of everything that has 2 wheels: at a young age I practiced road and track cycling (Italian Allievi champion). At the age of 18 I passed into the cross country competing at national/international level as an Under23. Past Elite, I made the choice to take things more lightly from a training point of view, and my love for gravity disciplines was born, training me as an FCI MTB instructor and guide. Now I have made passion my profession by managing 2 MTB centers on the island of Elba (Bike Center Elba and Elba MTB), creating the FANTAmtb and telling in an ironic but professional way everything that revolves around MTB thanks to 365mountainbike and 365TV (YouTube'PULITI dentro BIKER fuori').

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