Over two decades in ten World Championships, Helena Kjellander represented Sweden and represented that country with distinction. Helena won a total of four World Championship medals, all of them in slalom, and all of them gold.

 

With that medal summary, most observers would assume that Helena was a slalom specialist only, but in her first six World appearances she skied in all three events. In fact, her first gold medal was earned in the Swedish Nationals at the age of twelve in the trick event. But after her gold in slalom in 1991, Helena concentrated her World efforts in that event, successfully defending her title in 1993, 1995 and 1997-an unprecedented feat.

 

Combining those World medals with eleven Professional Tour Championships and two U.S. Masters titles, one might think Helena's slalom dominance had been unchallenged. Again the facts say otherwise. Two of her World victories came by narrow margins only after exciting runoffs of ties.

 

Helena has contributed significantly in the administrative side of water skiing as well. She served as chair of the International Water Ski Federation Athletes Commission from 1996 to 2000, where she devoted herself to the efforts to introduce water skiing into the Olympics. For her athletic accomplishments and contributions to sport, Helena was inducted into the Swedish Sports Association in 2002.

 

I am pleased to announce the induction into the International Hall of Fame of the most dominant female slalom skier in the final decade of the twentieth century, Helena Kjellander.