24 Jan 2012
Athletes in Poznan: Frida Svensson
Svensson, the 172cm dynamite, opened up to World Rowing before her repechage.
World Rowing: How do you like Poznan and this course?
Frida Svensson: I have been here twice before for the Rowing World Cup as well as for the European Rowing Championships and I really like Poznan. Usually rowing courses are so far away from everything, but here the closeness to the city and the life around the course is nice. It seems that so many people are just enjoying the facilities and surrounding of this park. I think it’s great when rowing gets closer to the people and I believe it’s good for rowing too because it’s more in the public.
WR: How have you been going so far?
FS: Let’s put it that way: I had a bad day at work (in the heats). I just wasn’t able to execute some things as planned. I have worked on it on my day off and hopefully it will work out better in the repechage. My plan is to have a good day at work then. (postscript: Svensson won her repechage)
WR: Where and how did you prepare for the World Championships?
FS: I was at a training camp together with Olaf Tufte (Olympic Champion, Norway). We were training at altitude in Belmekken in Bulgaria. We were there for two weeks and then I still trained at home for two weeks before coming here. It was great to be able to train together with Olaf. He is such a great, giving and inspiring guy. He is very open and always willing to share his knowledge and give you training tips. When you need advice, he will give it to you and when you are nervous, he is calming or motivating you. Nils Jakob from the Norwegian double was there too. Olaf always likes to have somebody there who he can send off in a sprint and then chase. And I was always in the middle of those two. It was my second time training with Olaf and again I learnt a lot.
WR: You competed last year at Beijing, did you take any time off after the Olympics?
FS: Yes, I took some time off, also because I’m still recovering from some disc problems which I already had before Beijing. I took four months off and this year I have done less rowing and more cross-training, like cycling or running. I actually do quite a lot of running – I hate running, but my coach loves running and thinks it’s good for me, so there’s quite a bit of running in the trainings schedule.
WR: What is your goal for these World Championships?
FS: I really hope for the final, but all 18 women’s singles are also hoping. They are all great girls and it’s a big challenge. I will definitely fight for my place in the final and won’t give up easily. It will be painful for them if they want to beat me. If they do, they are better this year and that would be okay.
WR: Who do you think is the favourite for the women’s single final?
FS: If I shouldn’t make the final and if I don’t make it to the podium then I would hope for Katherine (Grainger, GBR) to win a medal. She’s such a nice person and has achieved so much. Then there is Knapkova and I really think it’s her time. Also the Chinese looks strong.
WR: The group of the current men’s single scullers seems rather close, is it similar with the women single scullers?
FS: I know the guys are pretty close and the top eight is a rather tight group. They are definitely closer than the women scullers. I think that there is a bit more rivalry in the women’s field.
WR: What will come next for you after Poznan?
FS: My goal definitely is London 2012 and I want to be in the A-final. That is what I will focus on. I will probably train in South Africa for a couple of weeks again this winter and there will probably also be another training camp with Olaf at the Avizaqua training centre in Portugal in October or November.
WR: You have pretty much always raced in the single, did you ever think of changing boats?
FS: I like the single and the gap to the next stronger girl in Sweden is still too big. The depth is probably not enough yet to try another boat. And I don’t plan to get beaten at home before I stop rowing. My training is very diverse: I always try to fit in a training camp in South Africa with rowing, cycling, gym, etc., during the Swedish winter and in Sweden I also train a lot with the Swedish canoeists doing cross-training. To get input from the outside makes you improve and it’s motivating too. I’m often in training camps with predominantly male athletes and that has been good for me too. I’ve learnt a lot there and learnt to take more and to get less scared of things.