The current proposal is for a mixed relay where two men and two women run a 2.5 kilometer long distance twice each. 

- A really fun proposal, I think.

Cross-country running is a very fun form of competition and something that has been present at the Olympics before.

Cross-country running is somewhere the basis of running.

It feels great if we can get cross-country running for the Olympic program, says Johan Wettergren who is branch group manager for medium and long distance.

"Crazy for cross-country running"

How is cross-country running in Sweden today?

- Just like other medium and long distance, it is on a very strong rise, with many talented runners.

Swedish running is getting better and better, and then also on the terrain side.

We are very passionate about cross-country running from the Swedish Athletics Association.

One reason why cross-country running and mixed relay are on their way to the Olympic program is that the International Olympic Committee does not want the total number of athletes at the Olympics to increase.

Wettergren believes that the elite in medium and long distance on the track overlap with the elite in cross-country running.

- It really does.

I would say that the majority also carry out a terrain season in the autumn.

It is a good part of the basic training for the coming summer season.

It is basically the same type of training, he says.

Want to see Olympic investment

Would you like to see people in Sweden invest in cross-country running at the Olympics?

- I absolutely think that you should do that.

Then you get to see exactly what the relay will look like.

Which of the current stars could you see in such a venture?

- It is difficult to say at present when the branch is not completely finished yet and we are talking about four years away in time.

We will have new stars until then and maybe someone who quits.

But we have many talented middle distance runners in Kalle Berglund, Lovisa Lindh and others, who have had great success.

What remains before cross-country running enters the Olympic program is that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will make the decision officially in December this year.

From their side, they say that nothing is clear regarding a re-entry.