The Norwegian man won 23 of the season’s 26 World Cup individual competitions. At worst, the first ten places have gone to the fjord. Expert Reijo Jylhä analyzes how Norwegian parties are fading.
In the mass start of the 50 km freestyle in Oslo last Saturday, Norway took the first ten places. In the picture, Hans Christer Holund (left), Simen Krüger and Martin Nyenget are fanning out. EPA / AOP
The statistic is startling. There have been 26 individual competitions in the Men’s Skiing World Cup this season, of which the Norwegian has won 23. Norway has, among other things, nine double victories, three triple and three quadruple victories. At worst, the first ten places went to the fjords.
In all the standard distance races this season, the winner has been a Norwegian.
On Friday at the World Cup in Falun, the top four of the traditional top ten: Johannes Kläbo, Martin Nyenget, Harald Amundsen and Paul Golberg.
The coolness of the Russians explains the drastic superiority.
It may very well be that the eastern neighbor will remain banned from competition for a long time.
Norway’s superiority destroys the interest of skiing in the eyes of the general public. When a force lacks a counterforce, the voltage disappears.
What can be done about it in the short term?
Iltalahti expert Reijo Jylhä reminds that collective success cannot be broken, because skiing is in the Norwegians’ DNA.
– Individual skiers from different countries are able to break the Norwegians’ lead. The head coach of each country must ensure that the best skiers get the best possible conditions, says Jylhä.
He mentions Iivo Niskanen, Niko Anttolan, William Poromaan, by Friedrich Moch and the young French.
– It would be natural for the head coaches to cooperate. For example, Finland Teemu Pasanen and Italy Marcus Cramer could agree on joint camps and joint exercises.
The idea is familiar: the best athletes to train in the best conditions with the best training opponents.
– Within the national team, everyone must commit to a joint training camp program, because joint training develops.
Niskanen and now retired Swiss Dario Cologna tuned up the cooperation, but Korona messed up the planned pattern for summer 2020.
In Jylhä’s opinion, in addition to Italy, another possible partner for Finland would be Sweden: Poromaa and other promising Swedish boys in the same place Niskanen, Anttola, Arsi Ruuskanen and with partners.
– There has never been surprisingly little cooperation, even though Norway is a common enemy for Finland and Sweden. It would be very possible to fill the skills gap through cooperation.
A rule change?
THE FACTS
Norwegian men’s supremacy 2022–23
Wins: 23
Double wins: 9
Triple wins: 3
Quadruple wins: 3
Six wins: 1
Seven best: 1
Top ten: 1
No Norwegian wins
– Beitostölen’s traditional sprint: best Norwegian fourth
– Davos free sprint: best Norwegian second
– Les Rousses free sprint: best Norwegian second
The idea of limiting the number of World Cup participants to the familiar four skiers per country has popped up.
Jylhä does not support this, but it would be more reasonable to limit the size of the maintenance team.
– Maintenance team budgets have grown so large that it is the largest part of the national team’s budget. The lubrication itself doesn’t take time, but in testing, Norway can get an advantage with its wealth.
There are rules about the number of personnel in the maintenance teams, but Norway gets around this by taking care of the skis of Latvia and Great Britain, for example.
– It is not prohibited in the rules, but Norway has used it in the wrong way.
On Friday, in Falun’s quest to Norway, I took the first four places in the traditional top ten. Martin Nyenget (left), Johannes Kläbo and Harald Amundsen got on the ball. EPA / AOP