Get to Know Virre's Coach

The man behind Veronica's success is her long time coach, Staffan Söderberg, who began working with her in 1991 at the Stockholm Top Gymnastics club. During the last couple of years Staffan has became Sweden's gymnastics top coach, producing many national champions and helping the Swedish gymnasts become more competitive internationally. A former gymnast by himself, Steffan's coaching career started when he was only 16 years old. He originally coaches male gymnasts but eventually switched over to coach women's gymnastics a few years later. He has always thought that Lilia Podkopayeva was the optimal gymnast - his favorite of them all the gymnastics greats. His current favorites international gymnasts outside of Sweden are Catalina Ponor and Alicia Sacramone.

Staffan doesn't have a specific coaching philosophy, but he has always been inspired by circus acrobats and those who take the acrobatics of the sport to the extreme. "To be able to give an audience the feeling of making what seems to be impossible possible is something I love. I also believe that gymnastics is supposed to be fun. That's the only motivator we have in Sweden. You don't become rich or famous in this sport so the fun part plays a major role."

His most dissapointing gymnastics memory came when his former gymnastics student Anna Nilsson, Sweden's best gymnast during 1996-2000 era, dislocated her foot at a competition in Ploestoi, Romania in 1997 and was forced to withdrawal from the World Championships. Then only two months before the 1999 World Championships in Tianjin, China 1999, she injured her other foot. She eventually was able to compete but wasn't in a great shape and failed to qualify to the Olympic Games. She then became the Nordic Champion a month later with an all-around score, which would have been high enough for her to qualify to the Sydney's Olympic Games. He remembers it as a very tough time for athlete and coach.

The highlight of his coaching career has been the Olympic Games in Athens, "It was a fantastic experience to participate in the Olympic Games. But also when Veronica qualified to the Olympics in Anaheim in 2003. It was such a great feeling to reach something no other Swedish gymnast has done in 20 years!"

Even though Veronica and Staffan have already made history, they consider their journey in the sport of gymnastics together to be far from over. They are hoping to set a new personal record and to be among the 16 best on beam at the 2005 World Championships. Strengthened by Virre's achievements and those who came before, gymnastics is fast growing in popularity in Sweden with the country producing many young and talented newcomers including the two gymnasts who placed behind Veronica at recent Nationals, Emma Sunnebäck (-90) and Josefine Backe (-90) from the same Stockholm Top Gymnastics. Behind them was Maria Edner (-91) and amongst the younger talanted girls there are Claudia Hansen and Josefine Sjögren, both born in 1993.

Outside the coaching responsibilities Staffan enjoys scubadiving, golf, reading and watching movies. And what does gymnastics mean to Staffan? "A lot! It has been my hobby for twenty years and I'm lucky enough to have it as my job since a few years. I love the sport and can't imaging being without it."