– I think that is a shame. I hope there will be a proper review and evaluation of this. I can’t imagine Martin Ødegaard having to knock on Manchester United’s door and ask if he can train with them before an international match. That’s what Susanne Kaluza, manager of Litteraturhuset, and friend of Birgit Skarstein, who won silver in the Paralympics on Sunday, says. CRITICAL: Susanne Kaluza is not satisfied with the arrangement around Birgit Skarstein. She talks about the scheme from the Norwegian Rowing Association ahead of the Paralympics. Skarstein’s coaches all went to the Olympics in Paris. That led to Skarstein training with Australia this summer – a few weeks before the decided highlight of the year for the para athlete. – Why we accept that treatment of a medal hope in the Paralympics amazes me. As a friend, I think it has been painful to watch, says Kaluza. Skarstein expects a proper evaluation news met Skarstein after the final on Sunday and asked if she has received the help she needs from the association towards this championship: – I think there will be a proper evaluation after the season. If we believe that it is a sport that is both Olympic and Paralympic – and that it means just as much and that we should bet just as hard and do what is required – then it requires that we have a system that ensures that the Paralympic is not subordinated the Olympic, says the 35-year-old. She refers to the silver medal and the small margins: – What we saw here today is that it is not enough to do nearly well enough. Work must be solid, predictable, with clear structures and frameworks that lead to top performance. Here, I could just as easily end up outside the podium, as be left with the silver medal here. HODEBRY: Birgit Skarstein is concerned that “the job must be done properly”. Photo: NTB – Do you feel that you Paralympic athletes are slightly overshadowed by the Olympic athletes? – I think we have to have a system that is able to run two parallel runs, both an Olympic and a Paralympic one. It should not be necessary to remove one in order to strengthen the other. It has to be equal if we are to perform at our peak. – Look at all the nations taking medals here today. There are major sports nations that have bet structured and hard on the Paralympics. I hope we can take this season as an example that we have to do it in Norway if we want to keep up. It is far too vulnerable for individuals and small groups to do that work, she says further. news has not been able to get in touch with the general secretary of the Norwegian Rowing Federation, Sverke Lorgen, but to VG he says, among other things: – In general and within our framework, we have arranged and optimized the entire process for the Olympics and Paralympics, and we have prioritized both the toys just as loud. The association has had several financially challenging years, but we have had a plan this year that we stand by. The evaluation will tell us more. – Far from the standard we had Teammate Kjetil Borch is an important supporter for Skarstein and was early on in congratulating Skarstein in Paris. – What do you think about our biggest rowing hope training with Australia without a Norwegian coach? – Her coach decided not to be with her on the plan they had agreed on before the Paralympics. They didn’t have a good enough replacement for her and the plan wasn’t presented until very close to the Paralympics either, says Borch and continues: – The symptoms of that are that she trains with another national team, which she takes under her wing. That shouldn’t happen. If it had been me in 2021, I would have been very clear. Boch himself participated in the Olympics in Paris earlier this summer, which ended without medals for the Norwegian rowers. CLOSE ON: National team rower Kjetil Borch Photo: NTB – Has there been sufficient follow-up of Birgit in the run-up to the Paralympics? – I don’t want to say that. There has been follow-up, and they have closed some of the holes, but not all. It is not a professional arrangement worthy of either the Olympics or the Paralympics. If you look back at what we did before the Tokyo Olympics, it is far from the standard we had. I have to be honest, says Borch. In addition to training with the Australian national team, Skarstein and coach Olaf Tufte have been training in Italy for six weeks ahead of the Paralympics. Tufte has also been close to Skarstein throughout the championship. PARALYMPICS HEAD: Cato Zahl-Pedersen. Photo: NTB – That is the way they have chosen to do it and that is what we have taken note of. At least it should work well, since they have decided that it should. I can’t comment on that any more, says Norway’s head of the Paralympics, Cato Zahl Pedersen. Published 01.09.2024, at 15.29 Updated 01.09.2024, at 15.41
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Hard against the association after Birgit Skarstein treatment – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
