Veckans krönika i Arjeplog Times
Post-Olympics – Pre-Eurovision
Two weeks of marvellous competitions in Torino ended as the best Winter Olympics ever for Sweden with seven gold medals, two silver medals and five bronze medals. An astonishing and unexpected success and I was really proud to be Swedish during these Olympic Games.
It was also nice to see that most of the medals were won by women. The gold medal won by the sprint team shows one example of athletes who have exceeded all expectations, done their very best and surpassed themselves. Another great success was the gold and silver medals of Anna-Carin Olofsson in the Biathlon which is the second gold medal for Sweden ever in Biathlon. The first was taken by Klas Lestander, a local from Arjeplog, in Squaw Valley. (This is why the municipality named the square in Arjeplog “Guld-Klas torg”).
I must admit that I have an empty feeling now that the Olympics are over. It is a fantastic chance to watch sports that are rarely shown on Swedish television and I have now found some new favourites such as freestyle skiing, both jumps and humps, curling, short track skating, and half pipe.
But there’s always a light in the darkness. The Swedish pre-selections for the Eurovision Song Contest have started and two qualifications have already taken place. The Swedish Song Festival is one of the most popular TV-shows in Sweden and together with the Eurovision Song Contest are real highlights of the year. The element of competition combined with pure entertainment and glamour is an extraordinary mix creating the ultimate show.
During the years Sweden has been one of the most successful countries in this contest with four victories but last year was a total disaster for us and we came 19th. This year we have to fight for our honour and glory, so we must avoid being beaten in the semi-final and this is a totally new situation for us, the successful Swedes.
For the next three Saturdays, Swedes will be occupied by watching the song contest on TV. The interest in the competition is bigger than ever since THE STAR of Sweden, Carola, who won the ESC in 1991, will be competing once again. She is naturally the main favourite and in three weeks’ time we will know if she will be the winner with the song “Eternity”, and if these lyrics will take her all the way to Athens in May:
“You exist in every breath, in every step, as the heaven is carrying an eternity. Time is standing still when we caress each other. My heart is burning when love is winning. An eternity, a short second, when we become one with time and space. A moment in time, infinity, far away in eternity”.
The song contests will be broadcasted on Channel 1, Swedish Television, every Saturday evening at eight o’clock. Don’t miss it. This is typically Swedish!
Two weeks of marvellous competitions in Torino ended as the best Winter Olympics ever for Sweden with seven gold medals, two silver medals and five bronze medals. An astonishing and unexpected success and I was really proud to be Swedish during these Olympic Games.
It was also nice to see that most of the medals were won by women. The gold medal won by the sprint team shows one example of athletes who have exceeded all expectations, done their very best and surpassed themselves. Another great success was the gold and silver medals of Anna-Carin Olofsson in the Biathlon which is the second gold medal for Sweden ever in Biathlon. The first was taken by Klas Lestander, a local from Arjeplog, in Squaw Valley. (This is why the municipality named the square in Arjeplog “Guld-Klas torg”).
I must admit that I have an empty feeling now that the Olympics are over. It is a fantastic chance to watch sports that are rarely shown on Swedish television and I have now found some new favourites such as freestyle skiing, both jumps and humps, curling, short track skating, and half pipe.
But there’s always a light in the darkness. The Swedish pre-selections for the Eurovision Song Contest have started and two qualifications have already taken place. The Swedish Song Festival is one of the most popular TV-shows in Sweden and together with the Eurovision Song Contest are real highlights of the year. The element of competition combined with pure entertainment and glamour is an extraordinary mix creating the ultimate show.
During the years Sweden has been one of the most successful countries in this contest with four victories but last year was a total disaster for us and we came 19th. This year we have to fight for our honour and glory, so we must avoid being beaten in the semi-final and this is a totally new situation for us, the successful Swedes.
For the next three Saturdays, Swedes will be occupied by watching the song contest on TV. The interest in the competition is bigger than ever since THE STAR of Sweden, Carola, who won the ESC in 1991, will be competing once again. She is naturally the main favourite and in three weeks’ time we will know if she will be the winner with the song “Eternity”, and if these lyrics will take her all the way to Athens in May:
“You exist in every breath, in every step, as the heaven is carrying an eternity. Time is standing still when we caress each other. My heart is burning when love is winning. An eternity, a short second, when we become one with time and space. A moment in time, infinity, far away in eternity”.
The song contests will be broadcasted on Channel 1, Swedish Television, every Saturday evening at eight o’clock. Don’t miss it. This is typically Swedish!
Bengt-Urban Fransson,
Mayor of Arjeplog
Mayor of Arjeplog
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