Danish broadcaster DR is encouraging viewers to support Scandinavian neighbours Sweden ahead of Norway at the Sochi Winter Olympics, claiming they should back the underdogs.
The public broadcaster’s promotional video for the highly controversial Olympics concludes with the narrator saying: “We’re all Swedish for the next two weeks.”
DR creative director Nanna Bernth explained that the production team opted to back the Swedes as they were the “relative underdogs”. She said that as the Norwegians are so good at winter sports, they decided to lean towards the Swedes and join in the Olympic spirit.
She acknowledged that the Danes are well aware their country is unlikely to be ripping up a storm in Sochi as they have not even claimed a medal since the women’s curling team won silver back in 1998.
On hearing the news, Swedish Olympic Committee spokeswoman Linda Sandgren admitted she was delighted to have the support of their southern neighbours. She said the whole Swedish team is really happy to hear that they have some extra backing as they need all the support they can get.
She went on to note that Denmark doesn’t have the same winter sport tradition as Sweden, so it is nice they are right behind them.