Veteran alpiner Patrik Jarbyn left off Swedish national team

Veteran alpiner Patrik Jarbyn left off Swedish national team{mosimage}STOCKHOLM, Sweden – Patrik Jarbyn has been dropped from Sweden’s national alpine ski team after a poor World Cup season in which he failed to make the top 15 in the downhill and super G standings.

”I don’t understand the Swedish federation,” Jarbyn said Friday. ”I’m ranked No. 1 in Sweden in both downhill and super G, and Sweden is hosting the World Championships. How can they omit me?”

The 36-year-old Jarbyn will be replaced by four younger skiers who did well on the lower-tier European Cup circuit last season.

Jarbyn competed in four straight Olympics starting in 1994. His biggest achievement was a silver medal in the super G at the 1996 World Championships. His best World Cup finish was a second in the super G in 1998.

Jarbyn said he will go independent to try to regain his spot on the national team and end his career at the World Championships in Are, Sweden, in February.

– The Associated Press