Helena Kjellander


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 in2002.

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.