GOTTFRIDSSON Jim

General
LOSING THE CAPTAINCY
He lost the captaincy of the national team in 2020, when incoming head coach Glenn Solberg chose to give the captaincy to goalkeeper Andreas Palicka. "It's a disappointment, I would have liked to have kept it. At the same time, I have great respect for Palicka and know that he will do well. However, I have my own leadership qualities and had also done well. There is no point in getting bitter, but you can see my disappointment." (handbollskanalen.se, 05 Jan 2021)

OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE
His first major international tournament with the Swedish national team was the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, which he says he treated more like an experience than a competition. "My first [major tournament] was at the [2016] Olympics, which is of course special in itself. But then when you're in the Olympic bubble and you're wide-eyed at everything you see, it was almost more fun just to be there than to play. Handball came in fourth place instead of first, it can be a bit like for a new player. You might play a good match and score a really nice goal, and then friends write to you and everything is amazing, but then you have to forget it and quickly recharge. The previous match is history and the next match is just as important." (handbollskanalen.se, 05 Jan 2021)