The World Cup in cross-country skiing has been hit hard by the coronavirus – and other cold viruses. In Norway, both Sjur Røthe and last winter’s overall winner in the World Cup, Tiril Udnes Weng, have been forced to postpone the start of the season due to the virus. Røthe will run his first race in the World Cup in Östersund this weekend, after being called in as a reserve for an ill Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget. In addition, both Astrid Øyre Slind and Anna Svendsen have reported that they are due to miss the race in Östersund due to illness. In Gällivare last weekend, several of the Swedish stars had to face the World Cup on home soil. Among them: Frida Karlsson. She had minor symptoms, but enough for her trainer, Per Nilsson, to flatly say no to her being allowed to start. SICK: Frida Karlsson had to sit out the World Cup in Gällivare. Photo: Joe Klamar / AFP Nilsson now fears that other athletes in the same situation will allow themselves to be tempted to compete with an illness in their body. – The World Cup has a good status. When all World Cup races count, you would like to go to all races so as not to lose points, and that can be unfortunate from the aspect of the health of the active, he says to news. – Probably a bit of a mistake Therefore, Nilsson suggests that not all races should count. – If you win the most races, but you are not included in the total because you get sick, it feels a bit wrong. I think so, he says. Nilsson points out that in the past it was possible to skip three races in the World Cup in biathlon, a system that the sport has also moved away from. – There were discussions here during the year for them as well, that they feel a little forced to compete. You can be sick, but you can also be really tired with the tough competition programme, says Per Nilsson. In March, Johannes Thingnes Bø ran the World Cup despite a positive corona test. The proposal is supported by a number of practitioners, including Tiril Udnes Weng. The World Cup winner from last year has not yet started the season due to the coronavirus. – If we could stroke two races, for example, then a period of illness would not have been so decisive, she points out to news. Getting support – I welcome it, because it’s an insanely tough race programme, and I would like to take a weekend off during a season, says Pål Golberg. Golberg won the World Cup race in Gällivare on Saturday. Last winter, he fought for the overall winner in the cup for a long time, before he had to lose to Johannes Høsflot Klæbo. COMPETING A LOT: Pål Golberg has already run nine races this winter. If he stays healthy, there will be around 30 more. Photo: Ulf Palm / NTB Klæbo, who has already missed races this season due to illness, also thinks the idea is good. – It is clear that it would certainly have been good for the athletes. At the same time, I understand that FIS wants everyone to start at any time. There will always be two sides to an issue, says Klæbo to news. Precisely to get as many of the best as possible to the start as often as possible, the International Ski Federation (FIS) changed the points system in cross-country skiing before the previous season. The new system means that there is much less difference between a victory and, for example, a tenth place. – With the points system you had before, it was a bit more “fair”. If you were number one, two or three, it didn’t matter as much if you lost a race here and there. The question is whether we should have “back to basics” instead, says the distance star to the Swedes, Ebba Andersson. Don’t want to go with illness As an alternative, she supports Per Nilsson’s proposal. – It’s not a completely stupid idea to have what Per suggests either, but in any case, health comes first. If you compete if you are not in the top 100, then I think you destroy yourself a bit, says Andersson, and is supported by Golberg. – I think people are so afraid of competing with an illness in their body. It is up to each individual, then, but for me it is in any case out of the question to go skiing if I feel any form of illness. WILL ADJUST THE CALENDAR: Race director Michal Lamplot. Photo: JOHANNA WALLEN / BILDBYRÅN The race director for cross-country skiing in the FIS, Michal Lamplot, emphasizes to news that he has not previously heard of the proposal. Therefore, he also thinks that it is difficult to have a clear opinion. – In general, I want as many athletes as possible to compete regularly. The cross-country season is not that long, so we use points and prize money to motivate the athletes to compete more, he says. Enters weekends off The race director sees the point at the same time. – We definitely don’t want athletes who are ill or are suffering from illness to compete. But they have to decide that themselves, he states. Lamplot says that FIS wants a World Cup calendar that will give the athletes rest periods along the way. – Ideally, I should have competition three weekends in a row, then a weekend off for training and recovery, and saw a new block, he says. Drove into production trailer – gets beaten up by teammates 00:44 Laughs at coaches’ Christmas calendar participation 01:04 How biathletes cope with the cold 00:46 Should the USA be dished out here? – Pictures from TV3 00:16 Show more
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Frida Karlsson’s coach fears that sick athletes feel forced to compete – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule
