– We cannot call this a Norwegian championship. It is not worthy. I am on the verge of tears, says Torbjørn Brooks to news. It was a despairing race leader who was interviewed by news in the middle of the chaos of the 20 kilometer ski change at Beitotølen on Saturday. Because it turned out that half of the starting field had gone wrong. – Someone did not remove the ridge pan quickly enough. We have made mistakes. Weng and others went straight, while many went 200-300 meters too far in the first part of the skating, Brooks explains to news. Shortly afterwards he confirmed that the race would be cancelled. – The jury has made the decision that this race must be cancelled. I, as the organizer, have made a mistake in sending the runners the wrong way, he continues. Complete confusion It was halfway through today’s race that chaos broke out. At first it seemed that Heidi Weng had gone wrong. But then it turned out that half of the starting field had done it, while Weng had gone correctly. – There is complete confusion here, said Jann Post, news’s cross-country expert. – This will almost be a parody of an NM race, he continues. Before the incident, however, it looked like it was going to be Astrid Øyre Slind’s golden day. Had the gold race ruined Øyre Slind was able to close early on to the rest of the field on today’s 20-kilometer. That gap just got bigger and bigger as the minutes ticked by. In the group behind, 16 runners tried to take up the chase. But Øyre Slind, who did not want a trick run, was 22.2 seconds ahead of Heidi Weng at 4.9 kilometers. When changing skis, Weng had eaten up large parts of the lead. Nevertheless, Øyre Slind had a lead of 13.3 seconds, but when Weng went right and Øyre Slind went wrong, in the end it was the former who walked away with the day’s victory. DISAGREEMENT ON CANCELLATION: Astrid Øyre Slind despaired after the organizer’s error ruined the NM gold. Photo: NTB – I was very surprised. I had seen on the trail map that I was going straight ahead and was heading straight ahead, then I looked up and saw that it was blocked. Then I didn’t dare to go over, because it is usually difficult to go over the ridge pans. I didn’t think about whether to stop asking or anything. I just walked where the trail was marked. I became uncertain when I saw that Heidi went a different way, Øyre Slind tells news. – I think it will be a parody. In the race you become uncertain and do not dare to go past the ridge pans, because it is a clink disk. I would rather have seen that Heidi got the gold, and the result stood. It will just be a mess, says Øyre Slind to news, after the race. – There are some who have not done their job. It is very boring that the NM is canceled because of this, says Øyre Slind, who had the opportunity to take NM gold for the first time in his career. Was it right to cancel the race? Yes, I think so. No, they should have kept their medals. Show result Don’t care about cancellation When today’s actual gold winner crossed the finish line, she was told that no medals would be awarded at Beitstølen on Saturday. – When you asked if you went wrong, you went right, said the race director to Weng in the finish area. He continued: – The trail guard has made a mistake. He has sent half the runners the wrong way. Therefore we have to cancel the race. I am deeply sorry. Heidi Weng replied that she understood the decision. – I don’t care about the cancellation. It was a good session for me. When I was told on the trail about cancellation, I thought it was me who had gone wrong, she said. Weng tells news that she appreciated a good training session, but that she was put out when she thought she had gone wrong. – I felt that I had heard for so long that I should go straight ahead. I stopped, plowed, and looked to the left, I also saw that Astrid was going another way, Weng tells news after the race. – I was told by Broks along the way that I had gone the right way. Nossum said I should just go, and not wait for Astrid, she continues.
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Here the race director cries after the scandal – Heidi Weng does not get the NM gold – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
