16 October 2021
By Göran R Buckhorn
Johan Flodin leaves Norway and moves back to Sweden.
The Swedish Olympic Committee (SOK) announced yesterday that Johan Flodin will take on the role as Sports and Development Director at SOK.
Flodin returns to his home country Sweden after being the Head Coach for the Norwegian National Rowing Team for eight years. During his time in Norway, he led the Norwegian rowers to 30 international medals.
“It will be Incredibly inspiring to start working for SOK and contribute my knowledge and experience to all our Olympic sports,” Johan Flodin said in a statement.
Johan Flodin rowed in the Swedish quadruple sculls that took two silver medals at the 1991 and 1992 World Championships. Flodin also placed sixth in the boat class at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. He was also a member of the second Swedish crew to win at Henley Royal, the Queen Mother Challenge Cup in 1992.
Flodin has served as the head coach for rowing at a sports upper secondary school in Strömstad. One of his pupils was Frida Svensson whom he coached to success in the single sculls, including a gold medal at the 2010 World Championships at Lake Karapiro.
Johan Flodin was invited to Norway in 2013 to lead the country’s coaching staff. During his tenure, the Norwegian rowers have won 30 international medals.
At the SOK, the now 54-year-old Flodin will take on a new role as Sports and Development Director. The tasks include leading SOK’s resource team with a focus on performance development.
“There is already a lot of expertise in SOK. In recent years, Sweden has had an impressive medal performance and has been at its very best when it comes to the Olympic Games,” Flodin said in a statement published by SOK. “But in order for us to continue to take medals at the same level, we need to build capacity from scratch and focus on the development of training and I hope to contribute there.”
Peter Reinebo, SOK’s Operations Manager, is very pleased to have recruited Flodin home from Norway.
“Johan has high competence and an impressive international track record. He will work with analysis and performance development and will be important for Swedish Olympic sport in the coming years. It’s great to have him back in Sweden,” said Peter Reinebo.
Johan Flodin starts working at SOK later this month.
Update 3 February 2022: The article has been correct to reflect on Alister Taylor’s comment. Flodin was in the second Swedish crew to win at Henley, not the first.
Hear The Boat Sing 
I found a 92 Henley Finals program which does suggest his was the _second_ Swedish crew to win at Henley – earlier in the day, Molndals RK and Stromstads RK won the Fawley, beating one S.P. Trapmore!
Alister – You are correct! Johan Flodin’s crew won the final race of the day (I have now checked my copy of the Henley Records for 1992). In the first Swedish crew to win at Henley, the Fawley, was a T. Flodin, who is not Johan.
Morning Tim, I wonder if that may be a son or other relation, given they shared the same rowing club.
My interest was initially piqued by the composite Swedish 4+ in the Stewards, which included an athlete/athletes from Brudpiga RK in Leksand, where my mother-in-law was born. A surprise to see someone from a club in rural Sweden in a Henley final. They did produce Lassi Karonen, though – who my wife went to school with!
Hello Alister, to start with a small correction: while Tim is a valued member of the HTBS team, all the social media and the website’s contact form are run by me, Göran R Buckhorn, editor of HTBS. I was once the co-editor of the Swedish rowing magazine before I moved to Connecticut, so I know a little about Swedish rowing.
To start with Brudpiga Rowing Club in Leksand in the province of Dalarna. Brudpiga was founded in 1971 and like other rowing clubs around the Lake Siljan, the club started as a club for church boats rowing. Soon, the club purchased some (narrow) racing boats to be able to compete with other Swedish clubs. Brudpiga came to be very successful also in these types of boats, and many of the club’s members have become Swedish champions, including Lassi Karonen.
Unfortunately, I cannot remember how Thomas and Johan Flodin are related – brothers, cousins? However, I have sent Johan an email to ask him the question. Immediately, when I received an answer, I will post it here. Stay tuned.
Kind regards,
Göran R Buckhorn
Goran, that is incredibly kind of you. I’m going to make a visit to Brudpiga in August – there’s maybe a churchboat row there!
Hello again, Alister, I just received a reply from Johan Flodin. He is now working for the Swedish Olympic Committee, and he writes from Beijing and the Winter Olympics (it’s evening there now). Thomas Flodin is Johan’s seven-year younger brother. Thomas is now a singer at the Opera in Oslo, Norway! All the best, Göran