Fear of defeat or concern for health: what is behind the refusal of Norwegian skiers to compete

The coronavirus pandemic is again leaving its mark on the winter season that started at the end of November.

Top skiers continue to withdraw from the competition.

The Norwegian national team, which has already announced its unwillingness to compete in the World Cup until 2021, is also going to skip the Tour de Ski, which starts on January 1, the multi-day race.

This decision was criticized by both athletes and the International Ski Federation (FIS), but it also has its own defenders.

The Tour de Ski this season consists of eight starts, to be held in Switzerland and Italy, in the cities of Val Mustair, Toblach and Val di Fiemme.

Most of the teams, including the Russian one, agreed with the proposed calendar and locations of the races.

However, Norwegian skiers spoke in favor of reducing the stages.

So, the leader of the Women's Cup, Teresa Johaug, in a comment to Dagbladet, suggested limiting itself to five races.

The FIS responded by saying that they did not intend to revise the Tour de Ski plan.

The head of the cross-country skiing committee Vegard Ulwang, a Norwegian by nationality, spoke to VG about the work of organizers and health authorities in preparing the largest ski competition before the World Championships in Oberstdorf.

In his opinion, the competition will not lead to the spread of the coronavirus.

As a result, Norway withdrew from the competition and now will not perform until at least January 23, when the stage in Finnish Lahti begins.

Prior to that, the calendar provided for a start in the Swedish Ulricehamn, but it was postponed to February.

The Swedish national team, as reported by VG, could follow the example of its neighbors, but in the end decided to take part in the elite stage race.

This was announced on Friday by the manager of the Swedish national team Daniel Foreus.

The refusal of the Norwegians to participate does not seem entirely clear, given some factors.

So, other athletes from this country continue to participate in competitions and are not afraid to get infected.

For example, ski jumpers recently took part in the World Cup in Nizhniy Tagil and are now performing at the World Ski Flying Championship in Slovenia.

Earlier in Lillehammer, the World Cup stage was canceled, which also became a negative event for cross-country skiing.

But instead, the Norwegian Cup took place, where local skiers competed.

As noted in TV 2, the epidemiological control at these competitions was less strict than it should have been if they had international status.

Norway was also supposed to organize in December, together with Denmark, the European Women's Handball Championship, but refused this, and nevertheless sent its team to another country, where it is now being held.

At the same time, in Denmark, since the beginning of the pandemic, twice as many people infected with coronavirus have been identified than in Norway.

Not everyone in the Norwegian team supported the decision to skip the stages.

So, Sindre Bjornestad Skar lamented that he would lose the prize money, which is half of his earnings.

In turn, Howard Sulos Taugbel said that without competition he would have to live off his girlfriend.

FIS also remained disappointed with the decision of the Norwegian national team.

Ulwang cited the example of Russia and the United States as countries that continue to maintain the level of cross-country skiing and take advantage of the opportunity to compete.

He suspected the Norwegians of the fact that they could have other reasons besides the coronavirus to refuse to travel.

“This is a kind of contribution to the common cause.

USA traveled half the world to get to the World Cup.

The Russians did the same.

Teams from Central Europe flew, sat in cars, making their way into Ruka by all means.

And now Norway does not want to follow the same path.

Obviously, this makes you react.

Many suspect that Norway has ulterior motives, ”Sports.ru quotes Ulwang with reference to TV 2.

He also hinted that the decision of the Norwegians will ultimately lead to a reduction in prize money and coverage of costs for athletes, as broadcasters will refuse to broadcast the races.

Gerdi Tashler, head of the organizing committee in Toblach, Italy, spoke about what motives the Scandinavians can be guided by when they refuse to participate in the Tour de Ski.

He believes that Norway wants to take advantage of the situation in order to transfer the stage race to itself and to compete for medals at home, and not in Central Europe.

“I think in the long run it can hit the Tour de Ski very hard in a negative way.

I will go so far as to say that this could be the end of the Tour de Ski.

Very sorry.

Especially because the safety concept, the FIS regulation and our own health protection protocol are extremely strict.

Therefore, we do not understand why the teams refuse to come to Toblah for security reasons.

We proceed from the assumption that there is a political aspect behind this decision.

From a political point of view, I think they will willingly try to move the races to Scandinavia, to their cities, which will definitely not benefit the Tour de Ski, ”Tashler told VG.

At the same time, the former head coach of the Russian national teams, Alexander Grushin, is sure that the Norwegians were guided exclusively by personal motives that must be accepted.

In his opinion, the World Cup is already too long a competition and requires a reduction in stages.

“Probably, their actions are justified by the epidemiological situation.

Some are afraid, others are not, it is difficult to make a choice.

This could be the position of individual athletes.

The titled ones fear for their health, others are guided by the titled ones.

In general, I would like to remind you that the World Cup was conceived from the very beginning as a purely commercial start.

It has nothing to do with major events like the World Championships and the Olympic Games.

For the spectators, the refusal of the participants and the cancellation of starts is bad, but for the athletes ... In my opinion, the competition calendar would not hurt to decrease.

This would allow for a more systematic and fundamental preparation.

Opponents will say that competitive activity is better than the training process, but I think that the World Cup is too extensive, "said Grushin RT.

At the same time, he did not agree with the popular opinion among fans that the Norwegians could refuse to perform because of fear of being lured to their main competitors - the Russians and the Swedes.

According to the honored coach of the USSR, one should not look for political reasons in the actions of the Norwegian national team.

“There has always been competition in sports.

If people want to get away from competition, then there will be no athletic performance.

Therefore, I do not see the reason for this.

Personal motives prevail here.

I would not want to drag in politics, now all scandals are immediately politicized.

This situation will lead to the fact that sponsors will start leaving, ”added Grushin.