Former bandy world champion Sigrid Simonsson commits to Beach Volleyball

For those who are not familiar with it, bandy is one of the national sports in Sweden, it is similar to ice hockey but matches take place on a much larger ice rink and players use a stick to direct a ball – not a puck – into the opposing team’s goal.

Last year Simonsson eventually claimed her first major accolade – taking gold from the Swedish Beach Volleyball Championship. “I had reached my goals in bandy and had won two gold medals from the World Championship. There were no further challenges for me in that sport and on top of this, Beach Volleyball is a lot more fun,” Simonsson says.



Simonsson, who is an orthopaedic engineer, acknowledges that she has taken pretty much from bandy to the Beach Volleyball court. “I have always been very strong physically and that helps in Beach Volleyball. Bandy is a much tougher physical sport. From Beach Volleyball I have learned that if you lose your temper, it is bad for you and your team. That was the biggest challenge for me when I decided to switch sport. In bandy, on the other hand, being aggressive helps you,” she continues.

Simonsson was raised in a typical Volleyball family in the north of Sweden and she started playing the game when she was 13. However, the local bandy club saw the potential in her and after practicing both sports for some years, she had to make the decision to go for bandy full-time. Nevertheless, she is now back in an environment that feels like home to her and after a few visits to the World Tour this year together with partner Tadva Yoken, she knows her aim. “I have always had high expectations from my performance and if I don’t climb to the top of the rankings or if I stop winning, I will find another sport that challenges me,” she explains.



Sigrid Simonsson and her partner Tadva Yoken lost their last match on Friday night at the CEV Satellite Laholm to Norway’s Victoria Faye Kjølberg and Ane Guro Tveit Hjortland 2-1 (21-23, 23-21, 15-11) in 53 minutes.

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