PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Despite the impressive efforts at the start of the season, Max Novak did not get a place in the squad during the World Cup in Lillehammer.
Something that Petter Northug is strongly critical of.
– That makes me very disappointed, says the Norwegian.
With a sixth place and a ninth place at the start of the season in Bruksvallarna and Gålå respectively Max Novak hopes of getting a place in the Swedish World Cup squad in Lillehammer. However, that was not the case. Novak was left out, saying on his Youtube channel that he felt disappointed to have been snubbed.
Novak nodded
The explanation from the Swedish camp is that the competition in Gålå is not included in the selection criteria.
– We have written the criteria like this and are looking at Bruksvallarna and last year primarily for this competition. Unfortunately it is so, but we have to stand by what we have written, he says to SVT Sport and means that they want to see the current skaters against each other, in the same competition, before the selections, says the national team manager Anders Byström to SVT Sport.
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Now the management’s choice to nob Novak is receiving criticism from the former Norwegian great skier – and now the TV expert – Peter Northugwho believes that the decision is something of a scandal.
– It is almost a scandal that Max Novak is not in the Swedish team here. It’s a course that would suit Max perfectly, with 20 kilometers of classic. He showed himself in Gålå, which is an important race in Norway, by finishing in the top ten and that shows good form. That should be enough to get into the Swedish team, so that’s almost what shocks me the most about Byström, that he doesn’t get a place for Max in the team, says Northug to SVT Sport.
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“Very disappointing”
Who also do not buy Anders Byström’s reasoning regarding the selection.
– If you look at the sprint, it looks like they have no criteria at all. When Max Novak performs as he does, you should look through the fingers. If Byström does not make it, then he is not up to date on the Swedish riders, so it makes me very disappointed that he did not get a place for Novak, who has deserved it, he says.