Several skiers suffered serious cold injuries after the long race in Switzerland last weekend.
The cross-country national team's doctor Per ”Pliggen” Andersson is now criticizing the cold limits of the long-distance cup.
- Purely medically, I can think that these cold limits are wrong, he says.
"A completely different rulebook"
In the long-distance cup, the rules are that you can cancel or delay the start if 50 percent or more of the course is below -25 degrees, compared to -18, which is the cold limit in the "regular" World Cup.
- It is a completely different rulebook than in normal skiing, where you do not have to take into account that there are 15,000 exercisers who should be out for up to twelve hours, as in the Vasaloppet.
If you have a Vasaloppet start where there are 16,000 people, it is very difficult to postpone the start, he says, and adds:
- It is not just to cancel the race when you have such a large event, it is international multi-events that you have.
It's a different type of situation.
This rule has existed for very many years, and the Vasaloppet has had significantly colder than -25 in the start, but then it is warmer in the finish.
- That is why the rule exists: You are out for a long time, and then there will be a big temperature difference.
"Not easy"
David Nilsson says, however, that he has respect for the fact that people react critically after the mentioned images, and admits that it is a difficult question.
- It's not easy.
It is an outdoor sport in a winter environment, he states.