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NEWS
CSWC SWEDEN - ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED ROUNDS COMING IN 10 DAYS
This will be first Igor Kovacic performance after losing his long last title of World Record holder
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Igor Kovacic, former World Record Holder and Mikael Zander actual Swedish Championafter close smoking fight on the CSWC qualifier for Sweden in 2021
Is Sweden a CSWC superpower?!? - Without a doubt...Sweden is simply a sleeping giant that, following historical success in 2021, has entered a period of dormancy. But they're always there, eager to prove how huge they are in this battle. The reasons for the quiet era were varied. CSWCNEWS conducted some analyses.
My admiration for the 2 times Swedish champion Mikael 'Zeke' Zander and former world champion Henrik Kristensson is immense. Both have shown impressive skill and tenacity in the cigar world. Now, with Igor “The Swedish Tiger”, the former world record holder, losing his title just two weeks ago, the chase is on. We're all keenly watching to see if he can reclaim his record. The upcoming Swedish qualifier holds the promise of a ticket to the grand finale in Split for the triumphant winner. For the others, the battle is even fiercer. They must aim for the top 20 spots this season and compete for the wild cards to secure their place in Split. And with recent performances demanding smoking times around three hours for a competitive edge, the stakes have never been higher. - sure believe it's going to make for a fiercely competitive field. As we approach next week's Swedish qualifier, the atmosphere is heating up, mirroring the tension and anticipation we're all feeling. Prepare for a thrilling event! - Pierre Gustavssonn, CSWC ambassador
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Pierre Gustavssonn, one of the best CSWC judges and CSWC global ambassador
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Mikael Zander Zeke on the grand final 2021 preparing for the lighting up for final race
Mikael Zander Zeke was the first to be observed. He gained great success as the Swedish Champion two years in a succession, but health issues prevented him from completely returning to the game. This resulted in his absence from the Grand Final 2022. Fortunately, his health is improving, and he will defend his Swedish champion title for the third time.
Henrik Kristensson, Sweden's only World Champion and one of the best smokers overall - (he currently ranks 16th on the TOP 20 list of the best smokers of all time) - after a successful online season 2020 and season 2021 in which he achieved the highest achievement in the CSWC world - World Champion title, he entered season 2022 in a difficult way - by missing the Swedish qualifier, which was held alongside the Danish qualifier in Copenhagen. This join qualifier between two countries was not his favorite notion, which resulted in a somewhat slow season for him; even though he easily placed himself in the Grand Final with a wild card from the Top 20 list, he was unable to defend his title of World Champion. The CSWC qualification for Sweden has returned in its original form - it will be staged independently of the Danish qualifier, it will return to Helsingborg, and Henrik will compete again in his hometown club.
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Henrik Kristensson in his beautiful art of slow smoking - focus and incredible skills
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Igor Kovacic - Legend - with his CSWC Cuervo y Sobrinos that he won as national champion and World record Holder
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Mikael and Henrik share a wonderful friendship as well as a healthy sporting rivalry.
Thirdly, the most interesting and mysterious observation is that of Igor Kovacic, famously known as the "Swedish Tiger". He is undoubtedly one of the biggest names in the CSWC world of all time. He is THE legend, even though he never managed to reach the title of World Champion (he was twice World Vice Champion in 2015 and 2017), but he managed to reach the World Record a few times, and the last one - 3 hours and 52 minutes - he proudly took from the hands of his eternal rival Darren Cioffi from the USA. He held the World Record for the longest time - 5 long years - and was undefeated until just two weeks ago when this miracle was achieved by Klaudia Ide from Poland.
We don't know if this is due to Igor's difficult adaptation to the CSWC rocky Patel competition cigar, which he has yet to break and discover, or something else, but as one of the best slow smokers of all time, Igor is expected to be what he is when it comes to competition and his competitive spirit - and that is to be the Swedish Tiger. We will find out very soon.
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The Swedish CSWC organizing team at the 2018 Grand Final