12 of 12 World Cup golds in cross-country skiing in Trondheim went to Norway or Sweden. 28 out of a total of 36 medals. In short, a situation is so predictable that it is a problem, which cross -country sports must soon relate to. Remove an exercise “because it is the world’s most boring exercise”, the immediate and razor -sharp answer to one of the cross -country experts I spoke to while it was still the World Cup. The question was as simple as it is sensitive: “Remove one of today’s exercises from the championship program. Which?” “The one today,” said Martin Johnsrud Sundby. The exercise on the program that day was relay. Everyone knew how it was going to end. “Personally, I would take away team sprints, but I know it’s not realistic. So it must be the relays, ”said Fredrik Aukland. “We must have the team sprints. It is those who are most seen internationally. And we cannot remove the interval starts. It is Norwegian culture, “said Torgeir Bjørn – and smiled. “So it must be the relays. There are too few nations that have four good. ” “There are many, many, many, many years since the relays were exciting,” Martin Johnsrud Sundby continued. The rally: There was a spurt duel between Sweden and Norway on the women’s relay. It won, not surprisingly Jonna Sundling for Sweden. Photo: Erlend Lånke Solbu / news relay In its current format Since 2009, Norway or Sweden has won all relays for both genders – with one exception. It was in the Beijing Olympics in 2022. There the Russians won, which, due to previous violations of doping rules, won as ROC, both relays. The experience obviously sits in. For when I ask the same question to the Russian anchor woman from Beijing, Veronika Stepanova, she does not agree with the news experts at all. “The classic relays must be retained”. But Stepanova, who is currently in maternity leave, while her nation is banned from skiing, has many and clear thoughts on what other cross -country sports can do to renew. We will come back to these soon. Olympic gold: Stepanova provided gold for the Russian Olympic Committee in the 2022 Olympics. The future of the distance. But we must. Cross -country skiing has renewed a lot. But it takes too long. Conservatism is in skis, sticks and walls. Some would argue that this has just contributed to the interest being as great as it is. But it is here in Scandinavia. Because while the snow melts, the formats are still quite frozen. Including that the sport doubts two styles, also at the elite level. Norway is one of the nations that refuses to discuss the dropping classic style. For that, the traditions are important. But this sentimentality helps to stifle the future of national sports. So are the relays, in today’s format, with four runners of each gender. For everyone but Norway and Sweden, this is a more or less outdated competition form. Down to Switzerland in 5th place among the women there were, for example, 3.19 minutes in Trondheim. Among the men, only Norway wins relays. 13 straight World Cup triumphs in a row say everything. Even with Russia back, there would be a duel at best. At best. Experts: Both Torgeir Bjørn and Fredrik Aukland believe the relays can be the exercises that disappear if one is to take away an exercise from the championship program. Photo: Julia Marie Naglestad / news A mixed pleasure after the World Cup is completed, the countdown to the Milan and Cortina Olympics has started. To the last Winter Olympics in Beijing 2022, IOC introduced six new exercises on the program. Four of these were so-called mix exercises, ie for teams with both women and men. In jumps, snowboard crosses, freestyle and short track skates. This is seen as something that creates new and unpredictable dynamics and dramaturgy. Except in cross -country skiing. Where biathlon has had mixed relay in the World Cup since 2005 and in the Olympics since 2014 and in addition has had a parliament on the World Cup program since 2019, cross-country skiing is still holding back. Soon, they may be pressured instead of changing the IOC. And replace the traditional relays with a mixed relay. The Olympics exceed everything in importance for winter gates. And if you are not willing to listen to the IOC, you are in danger of being marginalized – or even being completely removed. In any case, the number of cross -country exercises in the Olympics will not increase. Probably it goes in the opposite direction. Mixed relay: In biathlon, mixed relay has been a regular feature of championships in recent years. Here from this year’s World Cup and the alternation between Maren Kirkeeide and Sturla Holm Lægreid. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB Shorter and less classic distribution and development are the key words for the IOC in terms of all sports. And spread is not obtained by the fact that some nations are too sovereign. Like Norway and Sweden, it is in cross -country skiing. “If you had switched to only freestyle, you could have leveled the differences on the lubrication side by being able to distribute pre -prepared and equal skiing to all participants,” says Fredrik Aukland. He also thinks the relays, if retained, would have stood on even shorter stages than the 7.5 km both genders now have. If they are to continue to stand on the championship program. The Russian anchor woman in the previous Olympics, who was currently the last championship with Russian participation before the exclusion, is thus aware that she wants to keep it. The problematic profiles but 24-year-old Veronika Stepanova, who has already marked herself with a clear and sometimes controversial voice, is still particularly concerned with the Sport that the sport must renew itself-most of all through this by creating profiles, which are so often discussed in Norway as well. “It’s not the formats that are the problem. As an example, I follow Formula 1 and know everything about Lewis Hamilton, what he eats, what he drives, who he dates, how much he earns and what kind of political issues he supports. In cross -country I know a little about Klæbo, because I read Norwegian media. But I know almost nothing about Sundling or Andersson, because they don’t want to be stars. It is wrong and must be changed. One Northug is not enough. ” Stepanova therefore also believes that only the 10 or a maximum of 20 best should be allowed to participate in the races that are in the single start. With longer starting intervals-that gives each run more attention from the audience and more time in the TV route. The World Cup in Kollen five miles and then she also has her proposal for what should be replaced on the championship program. And it should actually appeal to Norwegian hearts, no matter what you think of Russian cross -country stars right now: “Take out 50 km from the program and make it a separate World Cup, which is held in Holmenkollen with the wrong audience that is there.” A separate World Cup at five miles in Holmenkollen, that is. No one should say it is not an intriguing thought. This coming weekend it will not even be on the program in Holmenkollen. Veronika Stepanova has not even experienced the Kollen audience up close yet. But before she finished the mother’s mission from her job as a cross -country skier, Russia can very well be back in international cross -country, no matter what many Norwegians may think about it. Relay Star: Petter Northug made the anchor stages on the relays to his trademark. Here from the World Cup relay in Oslo in 2011. Photo: Cornelius Poppe / NTB One thing has nevertheless made an impression on Stepanova when it comes to what Norway has to contribute to creating enthusiasm around the sport: “La Petter Northug has a wildcard to all the runs he wants to join”. But some challenges may not even solve the most popular skier of all time. Like that the star of the future is hardly created in the exercises as more than anything else defined him as a star, namely the relays. But perhaps there is still hope to find in Kollen. At least for cross -country sports. Published 12.03.2025, at. 09.50 Updated 12.03.2025, at. 09.51
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