Frida Karlsson, but also Finnish skiers, are accused in Norway of belittling cross-country skiing.
– They urinate on the sport, Norwegian expert Petter Skinstad download.
Swedish Frida Karlsson and Ebba Andersson are heavily criticized in Norway. Ski expert Skinstad commented to Nettavisenthat the duo and also many Finnish skiers should have competed in more World Cups during the season.
Before the final weekend in Lahti, Karlsson is sixth in the overall World Cup race, Andersson is only in 24th place. Karlsson has skied four World Cup weekends this season, in addition to the Tour de Ski, Andersson has only eight personal races.
The Tour winner does not digest criticism.
– It’s hard to be at the starting line when you’re sick. I’ve skied everything I could. It’s a shame to be on the sidelines of the Games, Karlsson responds to criticism.
The Swedish star got sick with the flu after both the Tour and the World Championships. It watered down the script for the season.
– The plan was to ski almost all the races and fight for the victory in the overall World Cup race. I’ve been away so much and sick that I haven’t been able to.
Frida Karlsson says that she raced everything she could. PASI LEISMA
Skinstad’s outspoken criticism started in Iltalehti Santtu Silvennoinen from the comment. Silvennoinen wrote that no overall winner of the World Cup Tiril Weng is not the best female skier of the season, but the title would belong to Karlsson or Andersson.
Skinstad was relieved by the writing.
– Why on earth did the Swedish and Finnish skiers skip the Tour de Ski and the World Cups before the World Championships? Tiril gets an award for skiing the World Cup, but maybe suffered in the World Cup when he prioritized the Tour instead of training.
Sweden’s head coach Anders Byström according to this is precisely the main goal of the season.
– The World Cup was the most important for us. We wanted to be the best in them and we took many medals, he refers to Sweden’s haul of 12 medals.
Byström hopes that the stars would ski as many World Cups as possible. The wish has not come true, because in addition to Andersson and Karlsson, among others Emma Ribom, William Poromaa, Linn Svahn, Jonna Sundling and Johan Häggström have suffered from health problems.
– It’s clear that you don’t compete when you’re sick. It’s also about the total load, the coach reminds.
– We don’t pee on the World Cup. Next year, it will be the most important investment target. I hope we won’t be accused of urinating on anything then, Byström quips.
New calendar
Petter Skinstad is a skiing expert and competitor of marathon trips. PDO
Karlsson and Byström feel that there is something to be done in the competition calendar. A 50 km race was marked for women only a week after the end of the World Cup.
After Planica, the calendar has included six World Cup races and the Helsinki Stadium Sprint.
– The majority want there to be a lot of competitions. There have been a lot of them in the last season. We are talking to the International Ski Federation. I think there will be more air in the calendar next year, says Byström.
– We want there to be no “midterms”. It is known that after the Tour and the World Championships, skiers are tired and illness can strike. Sometimes you have to miss the races, Karlsson commented on the race rush.
A long illness
Byström did not digest the criticism. PASI LEISMA
Karlsson goes to the Lahti weekend, which ends the World Cup season, with a relaxed mood. The illness knocked the Swede down for a long time.
– I first wondered if I was sick or just tired. When the disease struck, I was sick for a long time. I haven’t had time to exercise much since I caught a cold.
Karlsson has good memories of Lahti, as he won two youth world championships in Salpausselkä in 2019.
– The tracks are really great. The hills are quite steep.
The Lahti World Cup starts on Friday with women’s and men’s double relays.