– She is an athlete whom I know as a very experienced and skilled skier, but also a very nice person. She is a type that Norwegian women’s cross-country skiing has benefited from and that we are very happy to have back, says national team coach Sjur Ole Svarstad to news. He is very happy that Ingvild Flugstad Østberg is ready to start – and guarantees that she will get the opportunity in the World Cup if she is good enough. But if it will already be the first weekend in Finland, he cannot promise. – Elite runners are prioritized for Ruka, as stated in the season information, and are selected for the national team for a reason. But it’s always a bit like that when you come to Beito, that if someone convinces, they will be considered for a place, says Svarstad to news. HAPPY: National team coach Sjur Ole Svarstad gives the thumbs up for Ingvild Flugstad Østberg’s return to the national team. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB The women’s national team does not operate with an advance selection for the World Cup opening in Ruka. The national opening at Beitostølen 18.–20. November is in practice the only opportunity to join the squad for the athletes who are outside the national team. Season start at Beitostølen Østberg is back on the starting line on Saturday 19 November after just over eleven competition-free months. The meritorious 31-year-old admits that she is very uncertain about how things are going in relation to the competitors, but does not think it will go terribly fast from day one. But coach Pål Gunnar Mikkelsplass will not be very disappointed if the student does not join the World Cup team for Finland the following weekend. – That trip to Kuusamo is suddenly 24 degrees Celsius and windy. It’s in a way an extra load after a long period of lots of training, race situation at Beitostølen where you take in a little more than in hard sessions, then a couple of days at home and then straight up there, says Mikkelsplass, who refers to it as a “plan B”. – Plan A might be to go to Lillehammer, Beitostølen and Davos. It’s a dream scenario. WILL TALK TOGETHER: Ingvild Flugstad Østberg’s coach Pål Gunnar Mikkelplass and cross-country manager Espen Bjervig. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB He outlines a scenario where Østberg goes to the Norwegian Cup at Gålå the weekend after Beitostølen, and then takes part in the three consecutive World Cup weekends before Christmas. Will avoid the Tour de Ski The hope is that she will then have convinced the national team management that she can go fast in the WC. Because there are two things that will be important in the coming season: to qualify for the WC and to be as well equipped as possible when the championship is held in Planica from mid-February. The World Cup is subordinate. – I hope that she doesn’t have to go to the Tour de Ski, but she may end up in a situation where the going is not fast enough and she is not allowed to run in Norwegian races, so then she has to enter via the Scandinavian Cup, explains Mikkelsplass, who considers the NM in Gjøvik towards the end of January as potentially decisive for a WC selection. news expert Torgeir Bjørn supports Mikkelsplass’ plan. – She has entered very few competitions in the last three seasons, so it is important that she has a natural progression in the program. She shouldn’t go to multiple competitions every weekend. There is a difference between going one and two races, instead of three. Norway’s biggest hope for gold He believes it is natural that Østberg goes in Ruka, if she wins the opening distance at Beitostølen. But if she is number five or six, it may make more sense to think differently. – Bearing in mind that we have two World Cups in Norway, it will be less energy-demanding to be there than in Finland. – Although the Tour de Ski is the second biggest, it is hardly any good medicine for her situation with many races. Then it will probably be better to train in peace to absorb the competitions before Christmas, says Bjørn, who still thinks the comeback could be bad news for the competitors: – If she does things right, then I consider her the greatest golden hope for the Norwegian women together with Heidi Weng. Her potential is so great.
ttn-69
– Elite runners are prioritized – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule
