– I have known for a long time that I think it is my right to actually tell what has happened to me. Why I disappeared, says Haugen to NRK. Haugen is one of Norway’s best weightlifters, but lately she has been away from the biggest championships. According to her, public criticism of the national team management is the reason why she is now without a national team place. In the wake of the World Cup at home in November, she posted a long post on Facebook where she told her side of the conflict, which dates back to 2018. Among other things, that she had felt “more opposed than appreciated by the national team management”. CRITICISM: This Facebook post is the core of the case. Photo: Screenshot – I chose to post it to get a reaction. I must be that honest. Enough was enough and now I wanted to be heard. As I had tried to address the problems we had within the association in the “right” way, I felt that the public was my last card on hand, she says. – I simply had to be honest with myself, make a settlement with myself. Is this worth it here? It started to trickle down to something that wasn’t quite right. Haugen describes the post in question as a “proper ball kick from my side”, but she also claims that she apologized, despite the fact that she meant every word in the post. A LOT OF POWER: Here Haugen is in action in bench press. Photo: European Powerlifting Federation / EPF – Someone who breaks me down The criticism on Facebook resulted in the recent European champion being summoned to a meeting with the federal leadership, but the invitation came with conditions. Among other things, she had to apologize for what she had written. As Haugen did not want to meet these conditions, she was not offered a new national team contract either. – I fully understand that what I did was not right. I have tried to keep that in mind all the time. I actually had to expect something to happen when I do that. When I behave badly, it also gets a reaction, she says, and continues: – But when I learned that it resulted in exclusion, I was very angry and disappointed. I had felt pissed for a long time, and at least I did not feel that the post I posted was in the style of the punishment I received. RAW STRONG: Haugen is the best in its class. Photo: Hilde Mikkelsen Haugen / Private She says she felt unfairly treated and was both angry and terribly disappointed. First and foremost because of the handling of the case. – I manage to be sensible enough to think that “yes yes, then my punishment was an exclusion”. So that’s not really what it’s about for me. More that they put a lid on it once more, despite the fact that it had now stepped up another notch, says Haugen. She felt that she ended up in a situation where she had nothing to lose anymore. And on Monday, she also chose to share her thoughts on Instagram. – It is sad that you are the one who will lose your national team place because you are the one who speaks out and stands up for himself. One should never have to accept shit from others. Therefore, I probably do not really feel any particular remorse, it should not be illegal to express their opinion, she says. – Hilde received a clear and unambiguous message about what the association expected Lars Samnøy, sports director of the Norwegian weightlifting association, does not agree with Haugen’s version. However, he admits that she has not been offered a new national team place, precisely because she did not meet the conditions that were set. – National team contracts are sent out in mid-December, and the teams are published in early January. In November 2021, Hilde was confronted with her statement, and the premises for a new national team place were described in the same e-mail dated 18.11.2021. Thus, she would have had the opportunity to be taken out already in January if she had accepted the premises, Samnøy states. He therefore believes that Haugen could have had good chances to participate in both the WC and EC in bench press, if she had agreed to the conditions of the association. – Hilde received a clear and unambiguous message about what the association expected of her before a new contract was sent out, says the sports manager, and adds: – I do not beg athletes to sign a national team contract. EUROPEAN CHAMPION: It is less than a year since Haugen won European Championship gold. Photo: European Powerlifting Federation Samnøy agrees that an initiative was taken for a meeting, and that the main focus should be what will happen in the future. – Haugen writes on Instagram that there were some conditions for this meeting. Do you recognize yourself in it? – Yes, she had to apologize. And she did not want to, so she did not show up. There were some simple assumptions. Attend, apologize, reconcile. – She writes that she had already apologized? – It is not true. She did not have a hint of remorse, and she now shows that she has not progressed, Samnøy believes. Haugen, for her part, believes that she apologized several times. – I have apologized in writing on two occasions. How he chooses to interpret that excuse is up to him, she says. – To me, it seemed like the last excuse was accepted. Because a meeting was scheduled, but I was the one who said no to that meeting because it was within the framework they described. Supported by club friend Haugen, supported by Lene Alexandra Øien, who herself participated in the European Championships in powerlifting in March. – I think you miss out on many good athletes and results if you exclude those who dare to say their opinion, says Haugen’s club friend to NRK. SUPPORTED: Lene Alexandra Øien supports her club friend in the conflict. Øien points out that it was precisely Haugen who inspired and motivated her to qualify for the veteran national team, and that she has great respect for her decision to go out with the truth behind why she has lost the national team place. – We need people like Hilde who dare to speak out when you feel unfairly treated. Hilde is not just a raw athlete and winner. She works full time as a teacher and shares her experiences generously and cheers on other practitioners. She is simply whole, Øien thinks. Haugen says that she now shares her version, also because several have speculated about the reason why she has been away from, among other things, the European Championships in powerlifting and the World Cup in bench press which was held recently. TAKES THE MAGAZINE FROM THE MOUTH: On Monday, Hilde Haugen shared the reason why she has not represented Norway for a while. Photo: @hildemhaugen / Instagram – Luckily I have so many people who support me and back up and ask “when is the next convention” and such. Now I have not been on those lists, so there have been both questions and accusations that have been quite hurtful and that have had nothing to do with the actual situation, she says. – Then I rather say things as they are, from my perspective, and then people get to make up their minds based on that.
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Norwegian European Championship winner finished on the national team after criticism of the management – NRK Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule
