– We were together for three or four hours, says Lucas Braathen about the meeting with Svindal earlier this winter.
On Thursday, Braathen held a press conference in Salzburg to talk about his comeback as an alpine skier for Brazil. At the press conference there, he talked, among other things, about whether he had received tips from “Aksel”.
Braathen confirms to NRK that it is the former alpine star Aksel Lund Svindal, and elaborates:
– Aksel has always been very, very generous in giving me tips and advice ever since I came to the European and World Cups. Something I really appreciate. We had a long conversation about all the different possibilities, he says, and continues:
– What I had felt, what he has felt in his conflicts throughout. And how he has dwelled on it, compared to how I have done it.
– He gave me a tip which I ended up doing. It was putting yourself in a position this winter where you, yes, you turn your back on the door, but you don’t close it. Which means that if you want to return to the sport, it’s just a matter of pressing a button. That ended up being the case.
After the home visit to Svindal, Braathen contacted Atomic, and since then they started ski testing this winter. It was a way back into sports for the 23-year-old.
For the record: Svindal is the presenter of the NRK program Mesternes Mester.
BRAZIL: Lucas Braathen continues his career for Brazil.
Photo: NTB
– Felt quite distant
Braathen originally posted on October 27 last year. But gradually came the desire to return to sports.
– It felt quite distant to return to the sport at that moment (when he quit). When I came back to Norway, I spent time with my family and then I booked a one-way ticket to Brazil, says Braathen at a press conference in Salzburg.
He explains that he went to an island off São Paulo, where he isolated himself.
– Gradually it became more and more difficult to watch the chutes, without being part of the show, says Braathen.
Before he quit in October, he was told by his collaborators that they would support him if a comeback should become relevant. He followed that up earlier this year.
– At some point in January, I spoke to my partners and then we proceeded to make contact with the Brazilian association. Suddenly I had the opportunity to play the sport I love, but at the same time express who I am.
Has released the license
Claus Ryste, head of sports in alpine skiing, tells NRK that he is happy to see Braathen back in skiing:
– We would have liked to have him on the Norwegian team. At the same time, we must respect the choice that he has gone to Brazil and the opportunities he gets there. As for the comeback now, we see that he has been given unique commercial and sporting opportunities in Brazil, and he was very clear on that choice that it was what he wanted.
SPORTS MANAGER: Claus Ryste.
Photo: Gunnar Grindstein / NRK
Both Braathen and the Norwegian Skiing Association confirm that he got his license released from the Norwegian Skiing Association, and that he will thus take his FIS points with him to Brazil.
– At the request for a change of nationality, we have released Lucas’ FIS licence. It is finally up to the FIS Council to approve the change of nationality, but we think that is a formality. We look forward to competing against Lucas on the slopes this winter, Ryste said in a press release from the Skiing Association.
– The most important thing for us is that he returns to skiing and therefore there was never a discussion about returning to Norway, Ryste tells NRK.
THAT TIME: Braathen celebrates with the team and support staff after 3rd place in the slalom in Kitzbühel last January.
Photo: NTB
– He says that there has been no contact with you until that license was released?
– No, he has not been in much dialogue with us about that, no. About 14 days ago, he clearly returned in relation to Brazil. And it was very clear from his side.
– How hard have you worked to get him back?
– We have made some contact, but at the same time he has been clear that he has given up and does not want any contact back.
Ski president Tove Moe Dyrhaug says in the press release that they are happy that Braathen is now returning and at the same time takes self-criticism.
– When Lucas announced that he was going to quit, everyone agreed that it was many years too early, and we recognized that there were certainly things we could have handled better, says Dyrhaug.
Watch a recording of the entire press conference here:
– Very constructive and positive conversations
At the press conference, Braathen spoke further about the conversations he has had with his former teammates on the Norwegian team.
– There have been mostly tears, and unfortunately mostly tears on my part. It was as beautiful as it was painful to go through those conversations. It says something about all the personalities with whom I have been allowed to share this journey, says Braathen to NRK.
– They have said that they do not want this to go beyond any friendship, and in the end that is what is the most, most important thing to me. I am very, very grateful for that.
The 23-year-old says he has not had any dialogue with the Norwegian association before his father contacted the association around a week and a half ago.
– There were really only very constructive and positive conversations, says Braathen.
– As Claus (Ryste) said: It is not his job to prevent people from skiing. He wanted me to take my FIS points with me, so I could get as close to where I left off as possible and get back into the sport. That is something I really appreciate, says Braathen.
The mountaineer is also clear that he has come to terms with the fact that he will not have the opportunity to train with the Norwegian national team in the future.
– It is quite obvious that when you make that choice, that is what you choose. That’s how it is for Henrik Kristoffersen too. After all, he left that group, and that means he doesn’t train with them. It is clear that it also applies to me. It’s that simple, says Braathen.
Posted 132 days ago
The tears rolled when Braathen told him last autumn that he had finished as an alpinist. Before the World Cup opening in Sölden, Braathen had been in a difficult situation after a campaign for the Swedish clothing brand J. Lindeberg.
Teammates were disappointed and Braathen also apologized to the alpine national team’s sponsor Helly Hansen in a clean-up meeting.
The backdrop was and is that the national team alpinists have for a long time been in conflict with the Ski Federation regarding the national team agreement and the athletes’ “image rights”, an issue which, among others, Braathen fronted.
The Ski Association announced a fine to Braathen for the Lindeberg campaign. The following day, the message came, at a press conference organized by Braathen in Sölden:
– I’m hanging up. I’m done, said the 23-year-old on 27 October last year, 132 days ago.
Now he is back.
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