– Nothing is more worthless than a sick skier, says Astrid Øyre Slind (35) when news talks to her on the phone on Monday afternoon. A couple of hours earlier, the draw for next weekend’s cross-country swords cup in Oberhof was made. There were three Norwegian women missing who had to leave the Tour de Ski with illness. – Lotta Udnes Weng got corona, but is the one who has come the farthest. She has been training for three to four days now. Anne Kjersti Kalvå caught a severe cold and has not trained for ten days. She was barely out to air herself today, says national team coach Stig Rune Kveen. CAME ON QUICKLY: Astrid Øyre Slind smiled after saying so far the last training session. A few hours after this picture was taken, the sinuses became clogged. Photo: Anders Skjerdingstad / news Seven days in bed The one of the three who has been hardest hit by illness is probably Astrid Øyre Slind. She says that she got a sinus infection and has been on a course of antibiotics. – It’s been a long time since I was as sick as I am now, she admits, and elaborates: – For the first seven days I was hardly out of the bedroom. I had congested lungs and sinuses, and a headache. Bad general condition, quite simply. The disease came as a surprise. On the Friday before the Tour de Ski finish in Val di Fiemme, she completed a good training session. Sure enough, she coughed a little when she was interviewed by news after the session. But when she spoke to her twin sister Silje later in the afternoon, she was very optimistic about the classic joint start the following day. – I thought I was going to win, she says. – Crisis Two hours later she was in bed. Now ten days have passed, and the voice still reveals that the 35-year-old is not well. It goes on like crazy. – I fear that it may start now. It’s a bit of a crisis, actually, says Astrid Øyre Slind. So far, she has not completely given up on the World Cup in Goms in 13 days. NEVER SEEN THE LIKE: National team coach Stig Rune Kveen (back) has experienced an unusual number of illnesses from Astrid Øyre Slind and the Norwegian cross-country women this winter. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB But the former long-distance running queen admits that it is more likely that she will go to Marcialonga that weekend. – If I’m going to assert myself in World Cup racing, I have to be in top physical shape. In long-distance running, it’s more about strength and basic training, says Slind, before she admits: – I almost didn’t have enough since this summer, either, so it’s not certain that I can assert myself there either. But if I recover, it’s worth a try. In the worst case, it will be a very good training session. Hoping for positive experiences Before the winter is over, she hopes to deliver a smashing result in the World Cup. – I know I still have some unfinished business, says Slind. She is not alone in that among Norwegian cross-country women this winter. National team coach Kveen cannot remember having experienced so many illnesses in so many athletes in such a short time before. On the positive side, last winter’s World Cup winner Tiril Udnes Weng is ready for his first World Cup race this season, after two rounds of illness before Christmas. – I hope I can avoid the sickness rounds this season, so I can avoid next winter, when there is the WC in Trondheim. And then we just have to cross our fingers that those who have been ill come back and have some good experiences towards the end of the season, says Stig Rune Kveen to news. The champagne bottles during the medal ceremony in the Tour de Ski turned out to be a slightly bigger challenge than one had imagined.
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