– Here the Skiing Association needs to change some rules, in any case if we are to get more girls to go skiing, says Johaug. She is clear that junior runners should be allowed to go to Beitostølen. She sees no good reason why they should not be allowed to do so. But there the Ski Association’s rules are ready for the season opening. This is not a race where juniors can participate. The Ski Association’s information states: “The races at Beitostølen are organized with “FIS-senior status”, which means that the opening weekend at Beitostølen is only for senior runners”. – I think it is a bad signal to the younger people who are going to bet. I know myself how much it meant to be able to go to Beitostølen. Traveling up here, feeling the atmosphere, you see all your role models on the trail. You are allowed to go on TV, says Johaug. The 34-year-old is now news’s cross-country skiing expert after she quit last year. Break through as a junior She herself had a breakthrough with 4th place in 2006. She was then 18 years old. Later that winter she took bronze in the WC in Sapporo in the three mile. Johaug ended up becoming one of the all-time best skiers on the women’s side. She sees several strong girls on the junior team who could match the senior runners, as she herself had the opportunity to do in November 2006. Therese Johaug finished fourth during the season opener at Beitostølen in 2006. She was 18 at the time. Later in the winter, she took WC bronze in the three-mile. Photo: Erlend Aas / NTB According to the International Ski Federation’s (FIS) regulations, you must be 16 years old to take part in an FIS race. Espen Bjervig says that the Ski Association itself has made the choice that the race will be exclusively for seniors. He says the reason is that the coaching staff wants the runners not to rush into the season. Cross-country manager Espen Bjervig. Photo: Rodrigo Freitas / NT – There is little snow around Norway, we see no reason why a junior runner should start peaking in order to settle in here, but rather focus on his own season, says Bjervig. He also emphasizes that, according to the International Ski Federation’s (FIS) regulations, they cannot select any juniors, but that they must then open it up to everyone. You can then filter athletes, both juniors and seniors, based on a ranking. – Then we have to set a limit on FIS points, which is the only limit we can drive. Then it becomes complex. Then we cannot select individual juniors. You could do that before, but they have tightened the rules, so we have not chosen any juniors at all, says Bjervig. More stars Johaug is clear that the juniors who were still good enough should be allowed to go. She refers to history where juniors other than herself have also marked the cross-country finish. Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen took WC gold in 2007 after going to Beitostølen. Petter Northug was allowed to walk on Beitostølen in November 2005. Later in the winter, the Olympic wrecking of Northug caused a stir after the NM gold. Maiken Caspersen Falla took 4th place in November 2008. Later in the winter, she took NM silver and participated in the WC. Ingvild Flugstad Østberg took the podium in November 2008. Later in the winter, she won NM gold and participated in the WC. You miss such breakthroughs in the opening race when the juniors are not allowed to go. In both 2019 and 2020, Helene Marie Fossesholm stepped up to the podium at Beitostølen. Photo: terje pedersen – Helene was also allowed to walk two years ago, says Johaug and points out that Helene Marie Fossesholm was still a junior then, even though she was a national team runner. Later in the season, Fossesholm Norway entered the WC gold in the relay in Oberstdorf. Therese Johaug believes the Ski Association is slowing down development when they do not allow the best junior skiers to go to Beitostølen. – I feel it. Because there are not many opportunities for the juniors to go against the best seniors. It is a very nice arena to show off, says Johaug. – Especially important this year Fredrik Aukland was junior national team coach when Johaug broke through. Now he is in place as a cross-country expert for news. – The Ski Association has certainly laid out a strategy that one should not stress performance too early in junior age and should rather focus on junior races. But it is important that this only applies to a few athletes, says Aukland. news’s cross-country expert Fredrik Aukland is not satisfied that juniors are not allowed to run the national opening race. Photo: Ole Martin Wold / NTB The start of this year’s season is characterized by Johaug giving up. Behind her, last year’s season was a downturn for the team. – It is particularly important to raise this topic this year because there has been a generational change in women’s cross-country skiing. And then it is important that we dare to bet on the younger generations, who can use matching against seniors as a springboard to a senior career. Like Therese, I believe that it slows down the development of tomorrow’s best runners, says Aukland. He believes that runners on the junior national team and the top ten in the Norwegian Cup represent a level that could match the top ten at Beitostølen. – Then they have something to do here, it may be exactly what is needed in their long-term development, says Aukland. Contra Johaug Cross-country manager Bjervig sees that there is professional disagreement about the provision. He says that he has confidence in those in the sporting apparatus that they have employed and that he chooses to listen to their judgments. – A few have won medals in the WC as juniors, but I don’t think Therese would have become a worse runner if she hadn’t been allowed to go to Beitostølen, so to speak.
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Therese Johaug reacts to the Ski Association’s junior ban on Beitostølen. – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
