Who is Johan Granath?
Posted on | May 31, 2011 | Category: Arena
Johan Granath (SWE) was recently appointed Chairman of the Ski Orienteering Athletes’ Commission. Johan is a gold medallist from the European Ski Orienteering Championships in 2010 and has two bronze medals from the 2006 and 2011 editions. From this year’s World Ski Orienteering Championships he returned home with a silver medal.
Johan still remembers his first ski orienteering competition, the Swedish Championships in 1994: “I was really satisfied with my 5th place in the Men15 class. After that I was totally “sold” for SkiO.” What Johan enjoys most about ski orienteering, apart from competing itself, is trying his limits. “I also like the big SkiO family. During competitions you are competitors but afterwards you hang out across national borders.” Outside of ski orienteering Johan works as a cross-country coach and spends time with his girlfriend Kajsa Richardson.
What does the Ski Orienteering Athletes’ Commission do in practice?
“We support organisers, so that races can be as fair as possible. We work very closely with the IOF Ski Orienteering Commission with questions like the Olympics, Asian Winter Games, Ski Orienteering World Cup and so on.” Johan describes the Athletes’ Commission “the bridge between the actives and the organisation”. “Our goal is to always develop the sport forward and make sure that it attracts new actives and new members wishing to organise ski orienteering competitions”, he adds.
What does it mean for you to be in the Ski Orienteering Athletes’ Commission and now the new Chairman?
“Of course it’s great to continue the good work by Eivind Tonna. The sport is very important to me and I want to be involved and continue the development.”
What would you like to achieve as Athletes’ Commission Chairman – what are your hopes for the future of ski orienteering?
“I hope that we can plan the World Cup many years forward, get countries more interested in organising competitions and that the number of participating countries will increase. I also hope that the races continue to evolve, we can build our competitions more on GPS and headcam technology, and of course to see ski orienteering in the Olympic Winter Games.”
Photo: Paula Lehtomäki
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