Several national team skiers were critical this summer that the doping tests had decreased during the corona pandemic.

- They have to test us more, said for example Frida Karlsson.

Åke Andrén-Sandberg, chairman of the Swedish Sports Confederation's doping commission, understood the riders' concerns but said that the test activities worked and that any cheaters could not relax.

During the autumn, the national ski team has been tested more frequently.

"They have stepped up"

- Since I was tested for the first time in a very long time in Torsby a month and a half ago, I have now been tested six times.

There have been both national and foreign testers.

They have stepped up and that's good.

That is what is required to ensure clean sports and I want to be tested as often as possible and skiers from other countries should also be tested, not just Swedes, says Frida Karlsson.

Calle Halfvarsson gives the same picture.

- I have been tested several times now at the end.

It feels good for us who are clean.

If you do not cheat, you have nothing to hide either.

Of course it's good that they are out testing.

Then I must have heard other anxious things like that in some countries you are not allowed to go and test yet, thanks to the corona.

It is just as worrying that it does not work, says Halfvarsson.

Opens for doping

The Doping Commission's Åke Andrén Sandberg is critical of how other countries have handled testing during the pandemic.

- If you go out and say that you will not test, which some countries have done, you invite athletes to dope themselves.

I can understand the athletes who are worried that other countries are not testing their skiers, says Andrén Sandberg.

He thinks that the Nordic countries have had a good view of the work.

- We coronate test those who go out and do doping checks, and we have a good collaboration with the Nordic countries.

This summer we tested as much as we did previous summers, says Andrén Sandberg.

A possible second wave of the pandemic in Sweden will not adversely affect anti-doping work.

- In Sweden, we have taken this into account, and developed good routines for how it should be implemented, says Andrén Sandberg.