Still in Stockholm: Interview with Eva Andersson
10 Nov 2011 at 10:51 | Published by: Hans | Views: 11689 | News search
Eva Andersson in Stockholm (Photo by Patric Fransson 2011)
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Interview with Eva Andersson (EA), Swedens and Tantogården
This interview was done the 31th of October 2011. Interviewer is Hans Bergström (HB).
HB: First of all congratulations to a great Stockholm Championship of 2011? How do you rank this Championship experience compared with your previous merits?
EA: Thanks!!
My silver medal in the match play is my first individual medal in a European/World Championship. I am both very surprised and very proud of it!
It is very sad that we didn´t manage to take a team medal with the ladies team, it was our goal and it would have made the result of the Championships complete in my point of view.
HB: What were your goals before the Championship?
EA: I didn´t have any specific goals according to result or placement. I was hoping to contribute with good playing so that we could take a team medal with the ladies team.
I was determined to enjoy the moment and to have fun playing a Championship in Sweden.
I´ve never before played a competition with match play, I had no idea how I would be able to handle that.
HB: Can you describe your day on Saturday in Stockholm?
EA: A complete unreal day! I have never had that fun on a minigolf course before and I don´t think I´ve ever played that focused and relaxed before.
I managed to play the rounds “lane by lane”, without worrying about misses I´ve done or that my competitor was ahead of me.
HB: What are your feelings now two months after the Championship? Did you lost the gold or did you win the silver?
EA: I definitely won the silver medal!
But of course I sometimes think that it is a pity I didn´t win the gold. I was so close! Sometimes I think about the lane Salto, I was very close to make an ace on the lane which I think is the hardest one – it would have been like magic to win the gold medal on that lane!
HB: You were one of 4 players normally playing for the home club Tantogården. Did you feel any pressure from playing on home ground or was it just and advantage?
EA: Before the competition I was thinking very much about this, I was worried that I should feel too much pressure, both from my self and from others.
But on the competition I didn´t feel that at all. I think it was an advantage, but I think the biggest part was that we were playing in Sweden more than at Tantogården. It was very inspiring with all the audience and minigolf friends from all over Sweden.
HB: Your husband, Jan Strandberg, is the chairman of Tantogården and also the Head Coach of Sweden. Was it possible to live a normal family life during the Championships?
EA: No, not at all. We were living in separate rooms at the hotel, and we were acting just like all the other team members.
But it was very important for me that I had my children around. I even managed to bring my youngest son to his first day at school!
HB: How did it feel being quite a favorite both in the audience and in the Swedish Media?
EA: It was very fun with all the media, I´ve never done that before. Especially the television-interview was very fun.
The support I got from the audience during the play at Saturday was wonderful. I am sure that this was one of the things that made me enjoy the moment and play as good as I did.
HB: From besides the course it seemed that you were a very happy person on the course. Many of your competitors had a concentrated and almost aggressive competition face, but you were smiling all the way? Is this the way you normally are on a Minigolf course or was it special in Stockholm?
EA: No, this is actually something new for me! I am often very tensed and often get quite angry when I miss. But this time I had decided to have fun and enjoy the moment! And it worked!
It was especially on Saturday I had this feeling and I had this fun. I liked the playing mode and it was very inspiring to play against the top players from the stroke play. And again it was so fun having the audience shouting on my good shots!
HB: How was the team spirit in the Swedish Team when there was both great success for the men’s team but also a narrow medal miss for the ladies?
EA: I think the team spirit was very good. As I sad our goal was to take a medal with the ladies team, and we were of course quite disappointed, although we knew it wouldn´t be easy. But we were very happy about the gold medal for the mens team!
HB: What is your opinion about the way the Stockholm championships were played with 2 days team, one day stroke play and one day match play?
EA: Of course I think it was great!! It made me a silver medalist!!
But, I actually think that the mode with two individual champions is a bit strange. And I also think that 6 rounds are too short in the team competition.
HB: How has your success been noticed by media and people around you?
EA: After the championships I´ve made an interview in a paper called Fokus.
Nothing else in media. From people around me I´ve got a lot of congratulations, flowers and some presents – thanks to all!
HB: What happens next for you in Minigolf?
EA: To be honest I don´t know. To play this year’s championship home in Sweden was my goal, and nothing is decided about the future. As you know I thought this was really fun and of course it would be very nice to make it again. On the other hand I feel very satisfied right now, and it feels like a good result to finish my carrier with.
HB: Again a big congratulation to the silver medal in Stockholm and good luck in the future.
EA: Thank you!
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