ÖSTERSUND – Three-time world curling champion skip Peja (Peter) Lindholm has abruptly announced his retirement from competitive curling.
The shocking news came Tuesday from Sweden, just days after the completion of the Le Gruyère European Curling Championships in Füssen. Lindholm led his team to a sixth-place finish, good enough to qualify Sweden for the 2008 World Championships, but far from the Euro playoff picture.
Lindholm's decision is effective immediately, with half of the 2007-08 curling season still to be contested. Lindholm's former teammates will soon decide whether or not to replace him, or split up.
"I have felt the end coming during the entire season, so it was not just an isolated idea at the Europeans," said Lindholm, who has scored podium finishes 15 times in his career, beginning with World Juniors silver in 1988. He won gold six times.
"I started to lose the enjoyment of curling and when that happens, there's not much left to do," said Lindholm. "I realised it would take a lot longer to build the new team the way I wanted before the 2010 Olympics, and then I made the decision to quit."
Lindholm's longtime teammates – Tomas Nordin, Magnus Swartling and Peter Narup – retired after a disappointing 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin. Together with Lindholm the foursome had been together for over 20 years. Last year Lindholm debuted a new squad with transplanted Scotsman James Dryburgh, and youngsters Viktor Kjäll and Anders Eriksson.
"I don't regret that I tried again (with a new team)" said Lindholm. "Actually the new team won both the qualification to the Worlds and to the Europeans. There was only one team doing that before and that was my old team. Therefore I am proud of the first season with the new team."
Lindholm, known as a passionate competitor with an expressive on-ice personality, said he has a pile of fond memories to draw on throughout his career.
"The first Worlds title in 1997 was very good," Lindholm said. "Also to win in Sweden in 2004 in front of an enthusiastic crowd was unbelievable.
"I am also very proud of winning both the World Juniors (1989) and the Worlds."
Lindholm, who is also a marathon runner, seems to have left a door open for some degree of future involvement in his favourite sport.
"I really enjoyed my career," said Lindholm.
"Hopefully in some way I will stick with the sport in the future since I love it so much."
