Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Athlete Profile: Frida Hansdotter

A Boston Blickbild Exclusive

Sweden's Frida Hansdotter has the distinction of setting the record for most 2nd place finishes in the World Cup (8) before winning her first race last season. She finished 2nd in the slalom standings last season. Frida was also the racer who kidnapped German witch doctor Dr. Mabongo (see this story) in Schladming last year. One of our intrepid reporters was able to catch up with Frida and talk with her about all of her 2nd place finishes and her relationship with Dr. Mabongo. While people say that nobody remembers who finishes second, we feel that our readers will find Frida very memorable. Let's find out what she has to say.

BB: You have nine World Cup 2nd place finishes. You were also 2nd in the World Cup slalom standings last year and you have a silver medal in the 2013 World Championship team event. How does it feel to be the perennial 2nd place finisher?
Hansdotter: I am not always in second place. I also have a bronze medal from the Schladming World Championships last year. And I also won my first World Cup race last season.
BB: A bronze medal for 3rd place and a win average to second place. 
Hansdotter: At least I am reliable. People who play ski racing podium prediction games love me because they have a good shot of winning by picking me to place second.
BB: Your consistency is amazing and does make many podium prediction game players very happy. But the World Cup is not the only venue where you have been second place. 
Hansdotter: That's right. When I was 3 I competed in my ski school's beginners' race and placed 2nd in my age group. I won a little medal and a bag of chocolate. I still have the medal but ate the chocolate.
BB: Little did you know that that race was an omen of your future.
Hansdotter: Right. The next two years I placed second in the 4 and 5-year-old divisions.
BB: But it was not only on the ski slopes where you were "Miss Second Place." 
Hansdotter: That's right. My primary school had a reading competition for third graders. I actually won first place for my school but was second out of all of the primary school students in my city. I still have that trophy. I was also the second best in my primary school's ski race every year. Not just for the girls, but overall. I was faster than all of the girls and all of the boys except for one of my classmates. Unfortunately, he got injured as a junior racer and quit skiing.
BB: You have obviously been great on the ski slopes but tell our readers more about your other second place finishes.
Hansdotter: Every year in school we had to do fitness tests. I was the second-fastest runner and long jumper. I could also do the second-most push-ups and sit-ups. The only event where I did not place second was throwing a ball.
BB: Our intrepid research team also found out that you are very good at mathematics.
Hansdotter: Yes. I was second place in a mathematics competition when I was in 8th grade. I actually put my math knowledge to good use as a ski racer. We racers have to be able to tell when our boots are 0.00000001 mm too high or our skis are too long or wide by that much.
BB: Very true. You are also the number two ranked athlete on your team in eating surstroemming. I can't even get past the smell, yet you eat them like they are candy.
Hansdotter: You really have to be Swedish to appreciate surstroemming. Andre Myhrer has been the Swedish ski team's surstroemming eating champion for the past 3 years.
BB: You were also the second Swedish ski racer, after your teammate Jessica Lindell-Vikarby, to win a race while being under a curse. 
Hansdotter: Yes. Both Jessica and I were able to overcome the curse. We will be even stronger next season, now that the curse has been lifted.
BB: How were you able to overcome the curse? The men on your team were not able to, and neither were the women except for you and Jessica.
Hansdotter: I think that Dr. Mabongo really liked Jessica and me and felt sorry for having to put us under a curse.
BB: What is your relationship with Dr. Mabongo now? He obviously does not have any hard feelings toward you because you won a race while under his curse.
Hansdotter: We are friendly with each other. He understands why I abducted him. In fact, I think that he has a crush on me. He sends me flowers with a nice note before every race. Dr. Mabongo even asked me out on a date, but I had to turn him down because it would have been too awkward.
BB: The flowers and notes are really very sweet though.  Have you and Dr. Mabongo ever--
Hansdotter: Certainly not! I have never had sex with Dr. Mabongo! Never! Never! Never! I am faithful to my boyfriend! Maybe Jessica has and that's why she got to be the first Swedish skier to win a race while under his curse.
BB: I was going to ask if you and Dr. Mabongo ever had a chance to sit down and talk about  the abduction and last season's curse on Sweden. 
Hansdotter: Sorry. Yes we have. He really is very nice and even advised our team on what to look for in a witch doctor.
BB: Now for the question that the whole ski world has been asking for the past 18 months...why Dr. Mabongo? France and Italy also had witch doctors in Schladming, yet you went after Germany's. 
Hansdotter: Dr. Mabongo was the most well-known out of all the ski team witch doctors. If I was going to abduct a witch doctor, I wanted the best one. After all, he was the Witch Doctor of the Year (see this story). He really worked wonders with Maria Hoefl-Riesch and I wanted him to work his magic with me to help me win a race.
BB: Do you realize that you are not the second, but the first, athlete to steal another team's witch doctor?
Hansdotter: Wow! I am first at something after all.
BB: I hope that you can finish first in many races next season, even though that will confound those who play ski race podium prediction games. 
Hansdotter: Thank you. I hope so too.
BB: Well, it looks like we are just about out of time. I want to thank you for this interview and wish you a successful season. You were second to none as an interview subject. And that concludes another Boston Blickbild exclusive interview. 

The Boston Blickbild. Our motto is: Our reporters are the most, and never the second-most, intrepid in the business.

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