Note: All quotes are translated from Norwegian.
Norwegian record holder and two-time European Championship medalist Henrik Christiansen has turned down offers to swim in the NCAA next season, opting to stay and train in his native Norway for the foreseeable future.
Christiansen, who has reportedly rejected offers from Stanford and Cal, two of the most prestigious schools in the US, has decided to stay home and work with coach Ronnie Anstensen, a coach he has grown to trust over the years.
“I think it’s important to have a coach who challenges me. Having someone who is fearless, who dares to challenge. Having someone who is fearless–who dares to challenge me, not only agree with me–is incredibly important,jam” Christiansen told NRK.
“I’ve been contacted by any college that wanted to talk to me about the scholarship. My father visited Stanford and Berkeley, both of which are among the more prestigious colleges in the United States, and they have some of the best swim teams. But I think it’s better for me to swim home with Ronnie” says Christiansen.
Despite the appeal that training in the US has, Christiansen states he believes he can achieve success in Norway under his current coach.
“It is possible to become world champion in Norway. It has been done before. I do not see any reason why it’s worse for me to be here. I think it’s better for my swimming career”.
Whenever asked about his training Christiansen answers with “we” rather than “I”, as him and his coach work as a team.
“It’s a collaboration. It is not only he who trains me, we challenge each other”, says Christiansen. “I would say that it is a good team. We complement each other well. I feel that he challenges me as much as I challenge him. I think it’s important that he pushes me also in daily life”.
Christiansen is the Norwegian record holder in the 400, 800 and 1500 freestyle, as well as the 400 IM. He won a bronze medal at the 2015 SC European Championships in the 1500 free and most recently won silver at the 2016 LC European Championships in the 400 free. At the 2015 World Championships he qualified for the final in the 800 freestyle, placing 5th.
Christiansen is set to swim three events at the Olympics in Rio: the 200, 400 and 1500 free. He is seeded 12th in the 400 and 10th in the 1500.
Read the article from NRK (Norwegian broadcasting company) in Norwegian here.
What is with all the fervor in this comments section over his educational future? Just because he’s declining to Stanford or Cal right now doesn’t mean he won’t get a good (or perhaps even excellent) education elsewhere or at a different time- and I certainly doubt he’ll end up as a janitor! From the quotes in the article it sounds like he, his dad, and his coach have a reasonable plan for the future that probably includes a secondary education at some point.
And, as always, it’s ultimately his decision- let’s try not to grill a 19 year old none of us have ever met too hard.
If he were to go to Stanford, he would be set for life. Unless he pulled a Brock.
GoogleTranslate steered you wrong in this case. It should be “I think it’s important to have a coach who challenges me. Having someone who is fearless–who dares to challenge me, not only agree with me–is incredibly important.”
Good luck Henrik you can do it. You can swim fast and then work as janitor for a Cal or Stanford grad for little money and broken down car. You can sleep in car.
How many non Americans that compete NCAA’s actually win Olympic medals. It isn’t the end all. I am sure there are good colleges in Norway, Japan, etc. The Japanese are swimming well without coming to USA, as are the Italians, French, and South Africans.
Lars Frölander and Therese Alshammar competed in the NCAA and they are the most recent OG medalists from Sweden…It is his call but for his long life after swimming a collage experincene and a Standford degree is somerhing I think he is going to miss
They were sprinters. The last male distance Olympic champ in a non-boycotted Olympics that went to college was Mike Burton back in 1968. I believe he was graduated in 1972.
Ous Mellouli…multiple times…recently…
@DRSWIMPHIL: Ous is à 2007 graduate.
Mellouli was 2007 World Champion in 800 m
College swimming is 10x more important than international competition. NCAA is the. Biggest meat by far….he made a bad choice.
NCAAs is certainly an extremely competitive meet and US college swimming provide a fantastic environment in which to prosper, both athletically as well as scholastically, especially if you attend the likes of Stanford or Cal. However, you need to admit that this mostly holds for swimmers focusing on the shorter events, ie. 50-200 yards. The level and the depth of the long distance swimming in US college swimming is less impressive, and thus a move by Christiansen to the US makes less sense. The Mathematics faculty at the University of Oslo is also more than ok.
He dropped out of school to focus on swimming
Sucked for Ous, didn’t? I mean, World Champion, Olympic gold medalist in 1500 as well as open water…all while going to college in the states….
As mentioned: Graduated when champ.
Big mistake. Should have taken the opportunity.
This is interesting.
What would be the pros of college for HC?
The pros of non-college would be:
1) To train with any swimmers and coaches he wants during the next four years. Axel Reymond, Wellbrock and Rob at Bernd, the Italians, Loughborough, South Africa, Japan and Sweden could be very good retreats for short and long time if things in Norway needs extra spice.
2) Train Altitude and get full scientific support as college cannot offer. Weekly lactate tests and daily individual technique filming.
3) Race long course all year.
4) To swim more hours than in college.
5) Take part of support from the private sector.
6) Take part and win medals in more international championships.
Pros of swimming in the US:
1. Get a free Stanford degree.
Finland has just asked WADA to investigate tbe 50- 67% of top Norwegian x skiers who are asthmatic .
Great decision.
I think he could become a lot better if he had someone to push him in training, which would be the case if he trained in the US. But it is his decision at the end of the day… Best of luck!
He is training frequently with good swimmers such as Truls Wigdahl and Victor Johansson. Ronnie is a hell of a coach. I love the concept of college swimming but I am sure that Dear Henrik will be challenged by more top class swimmers in wealthy Norway than staying on one college team for four years. Also the winning trail of scientific testing and intermittent altitude training will give him an edge over the NCAA-team.
Ah yes, international superstar Truls Wigdahl and distance swimming’s bad boy Victor Johansson. A real world class training group, far eclipsing those Shoults and Sweetser kids.
Not far, but The Bad Boy’s 7:56 LCM at 17 is at least faster than the Stanford guys had in their sleeve in high school.
I was looking for logic reasons. The quality of training mates does not appear as one given HC’s possibility to train with the best in the world whenever he wants.
The quality of NCAA is good but European short course championships was far better in the 1500.
The chance of a degree is one obvious reason. Any more?
HC is a very smart guy who knows what it takes to become the best. I wouldn’t doubt his decision. He is training extremely hard, and his coach is doing a great job. Doing 14.54 in the 1500 in the middle of a 12000 meter practice, in the middle of a hard training period with 70k+ meters per week says it all.