Former long-distance star Jari Isometsä with World Cup and Olympic medals on the track record, who was suspended for two years in connection with the doping scandal in the 2001 Lahti World Cup, is now an expert for Finnish MTV.

He believes that Swedish skiing this season has been unusually bad.

- Sweden has always been known for a good whaling team and good skiing. But it is clear that there have been some competitions this season where you have seen that Sweden has failed. It has not been so good, but there have not been so many catastrophic days either. But athletes probably don't take it up unnecessarily. They know best, says Isometsä and exemplifies with Ebba Andersson in yesterday's long-distance Ski Tour:

- It was seen in yesterday's competition that Ebba Andersson's skis did not hang with the Norwegian.

"It gives extra stress"

He suffers with the Swedish cross-country skiers.

- It already affects during the preparation for the competition. You worry about how the skis will work and this adds extra stress unnecessarily.

- Since if the race has started and you notice after a couple of kilometers that the skis do not work, it affects both the performance and the mental. You do not have the same fighting spirit when you understand that you will not fight for the top positions. Unfortunately, it is a large and very important part of skiing.

"Future Olympic champion"

Isometsä, 51, nevertheless takes the opportunity to pay tribute to some of the Swedish riders.

- On the women's side you have a good and young team. There you are the only team that can really challenge Norway. I see both Ebba Andersson and Frida Karlsson as future Olympic champions.

- Linn Svahn is absolutely incredible. She is technically superior.