There is not enough snow in Lillehammer for the combined races.
Last year in Lillehammer there was skiing in snowy landscapes. EPA/AOP
The cross-country skiing world cup is struggling with snow problems.
Iltalehti reported on Thursday that there is no natural snow in Kuusamo a week before the opening of the World Cup. Thanks to the artificial snow, the organizers promised a five-kilometer ski track.
The situation is even worse in Lillehammer, Norway, where skiing takes place on the first weekend of December. The organizers have had to cancel a few competition programs due to the lack of snow.
The men’s and women’s combined competitions were to be skied in Lillehammer on Sunday, December 4. The International Ski Federation announced on Friday that the 20-kilometer joint start races will be replaced by traditional skiing.
– The change is due to the current snow situation and the necessary ski track, FIS announced.
Despite the little snow, Lillehammer was able to hold its competition. On the 1994 Olympic stage, cross-country skiing, ski jumping and combined are contested on the first weekend of December.
The schedules of the hill jump and the combined were not agreed upon.
The ski trips are organized next to the Birkebeineren ski sanctuary in the biathlon stadium. On Friday, men and women compete in 10 kilometers of freestyle skiing. On Saturday, the freestyle sprints are on the program.
Will it snow?
In Ruka, the slopes can be made thanks to the artificial snow that was cannoned last winter and stored over the summer, as well as fresh cannon snow production.
The recent 10-day forecast promises little snowfall for Ruka. So it is possible that for the second time in the history of the event, there will not be a centimeter of natural snow at the competition venue.
– In 2018, the track was marked with snow. We didn’t get a full five-kilometer race course at that time Jukka Tahkola commented on Thursday.
The cross-country skiing world cup starts in Kuusamo on November 25.
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