Photo: Bildbyrån
Kristine Stavås Skistad has received harsh criticism during the ski World Cup.
It is the Norwegian ski star’s behavior after the sprint race that arouses anger.
– I just want to vomit. Where is the respect?, Says World Cup rider Mika Vermeulen.
The premiere of the ski World Cup on Thursday received the best possible tension when sprint dominants Jonna Sundling and Kristine Stavås Skistad made up in Trondheim.
Skistad’s disappointment
The super duel ended in Swedish World Cup gold and Norwegian World Cup silver which led to a huge disappointment for Stavås Skistad.
“I’d rather forget this day,” Kristine said in NRK’s live broadcast right after.
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The Norwegian ski star was not at all happy that the very first World Cup medal became a silver. Her behavior has attracted great criticism in skiing and many have reacted to her way of downgrading a World Cup silver, which many others dream of.
The anger towards Kristine
On Thursday evening, Kristine also apologized to the Norwegian people for letting the Swedish national anthem played at the medal ceremony in Norway. The World Cup rider Mika Vermeulenwhich represents Austria during the ski World Cup, weighs its great anger towards Norwegian behavior.
– I just wanted to vomit. Where is the respect for the other riders? She won a silver in the World Cup, for those like me, it is one of the biggest things to achieve. I just know, “What the hell?”, Says Austrian in the podcast “Skirious problems”.
– I understand that she is disappointed, but she is not the only one here trying to win. To say so, “this is the biggest disappointment in my life”, after the race … what the hell. So disrespectful!
Read more: Kristine Stavås Skistad is revealed by Norwegian teammates
Mika Vermeulen finished in a 13th place in skiathlon and he himself had sacrificed a lot to stand on a pallet in a ski World Cup. Therefore, Kristine Stavås Skistad’s words hurt so much for skiers as him, who dreams of a World Cup medal.
– Taking a medal here in the World Cup had meant everything for guys like me, it would certainly mean everything to these, he tells Expressen after the skiathlon this weekend and points to a bunch of other riders who missed the podium.
– I think it’s about respect for competitors to just show some joy. Or not even joy, but not be varnished over a silver medal. Because after the medal ceremony, she looked almost satisfied.
But in Norway, the sprint star is defended after the great disappointment in the World Cup sprint.
“I think it’s wonderful when athletes are actually honest about their ambitions and what they expect from themselves,” writes Norwegian TV2 journalist My Finstad Berg in a chronicle.
“Let Skistad be a bad loser”
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