What is behind the lightning-quick departure: national curling coach is gone again after eleven months

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In fact, he should work in Switzerland at least until the 2026 Olympic Games. But after just eleven months, Viktor Kjell (38) has already left as national coach. The Swede was there when the women’s team led by Skip Silvana Tirinzoni (43) won a World Cup title for the fourth time in a row in the spring.

Now the successful collaboration with Swiss Curling comes to an abrupt end. What’s happening there? The bottom is away from the ice. “It was because of my family situation,” the former world champion told Blick.

Too many absences from family in Canada

The Swede lives with his wife and daughter in Canada. Being separated from your loved ones for extended periods of time while traveling abroad has proven difficult. “In addition, close relatives of ours have health problems and need help from my wife and me. This puts much more pressure on us than we initially thought,” says Kjell.

The lightning-quick departure is a shock for Swiss Curling. But the follow-up solution is now closer than initially thought. Because Kjell’s predecessor will now be his successor. The German Sebastian Stock (45) will become national coach again. He already worked for the association from 2017 to 2021, plus the 2022 Olympic Games.

His predecessor will also be his successor

Stock was involved in world titles numbers 1 to 3 for Tirinzoni and Co. Now he returns to the ice from his job as department head at the Grindelwald Sports Center. “In recent months I have increasingly had the feeling that I miss the sporting competition and the emotions of the top sports environment,” says the Kjell successor, who starts on January 1, but already joined the Tirinzoni team in November. EM accompanied.

And Kjell? The Swede has also returned to his previous workplace and is working for the Canadian association again. Despite being away from his family, he remembers his eleven months in Switzerland as a wonderful time. «Swiss Curling is one of the best clubs in the world. I know what I’m talking about. I played in Sweden, was national coach in Great Britain and team coach in Canada.”

Source : Blick