On June 16, 2019, the Chinese Curling Association announced the hiring of Swede Peja Lindholm as the head coach of the Chinese curling team in preparation for the 2022 Winter Olympics. The 49-year-old Lindholm is well known in the curling world. He himself won gold medals at the World Curling Championships in 1997, 2001 and 2004, respectively, and finished fourth at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He has been head coach and sporting director of the Swedish curling team for nearly 10 years since 2010, leading the Swedish curling team to 31 World Series medals, including women's gold and men's silver medals at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
On the evening of February 9, after the Chinese curling team composed of Xu Jingtao, Wang Zhiyu, Zou Qiang and Ma Xiuyue lost 4:6 to the Swedish ice hockey team, swedish media interviewed Lindholm.
Lindholm said it was "interesting" to be the head coach in China, but a lot of things were not quite what had been thought before. He said: "I can't control everything as I did when I was head coach in Sweden. It's harder, but I try to be curious. I can say for sure that this job has allowed me to grow a lot. ”
The Swedish reporter asked, "Who controls that?" Ministers? ”
Lindholm replied, "Actually, I don't know. Under the hierarchy I was only told what I needed to know. ”
Lindholm's contract ended after the Winter Olympics. A significant portion of the entire contract period was affected by covid-19. He said: "We haven't been able to play for a year. This is a big challenge for us. We've been living in bubbles. I arrived last October and have been living in the bubble ever since. ”
The entire curling team lives together near Shougang Park, an old industrial park in Beijing. Ski jumping during the Winter Olympics is contested here. The curling team trains hard every day in the enclosure. Can't travel, can't participate in international competitions, can't even go out freely. Lindholm said: "We are like a big family. ”
The Swedish reporter asked: "What is it like to prepare for the Winter Olympics under such strict conditions?" ”
Lindholm replied: "For those Chinese players, these are nothing at all. If I say to a Chinese player, 'Stand in the corner,' he'll just do it. But if I say that to a Western player, they're going to ask me, 'Why?' ’。 ”
The Swedish journalist went on to ask: "As a Swede, what do you think about this?" ”
Lindholm replied, "I'm curious. Otherwise, the average Swede might find this strange. He went on to illustrate: "If I hide a piece of gold in one of my two hands and clench it into a fist, let them guess in which hand the gold is hidden." My experience has taught me that they most likely won't make a choice and that someone has to tell them which hand to knock on. My experience as a leader here is that the job of leadership is to empower. This is a little reflection on my part in this cultural environment. ”
China provides curling teams with much more resources than Sweden. Lindholm said: "I am grateful that we have given me enough resources to be able to build the organization I want. Doctors, dietitians, rehabilitators, and so on should have them. ”
The Swedish reporter asked: "Is it important for the Chinese team to win a medal in the Olympic Games?" Have you ever felt pressure from above? ”
Lindholm replied, "I like pressure. They kept telling me the goal was gold. I've always defaulted to that. It's the same pressure as in Sweden, it's no different. Everyone wants to get good grades. ”
Curling is a relatively niche sport in Sweden and it is difficult to make a lot of money. But in China it's different. Lindholm did not say how much China would pay him, but he said: "I don't have to hide that my income here is very good." ”
On February 12, the Chinese women's curling team, composed of Zhang Lijun, Dong Ziqi, Han Yu and Wang Rui, beat Sweden 9-6.