Honest words in Norway ahead of the new ski season – now admits after all the leaden statements: “We probably never have…”

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Several stars have quit.
Now the concern is great in Norway – which admits:

– We have probably never been more underdogs than this year.

For many years, the skiing public has become accustomed to seeing the Norwegian flag at the top in connection with cross-country competitions. Skaters like Heidi Weng and above all Therese Johaug have completely dominated the scene, and it is only in sprints that Sweden has had an advantage.

Honest words

But now a new and uncertain reality awaits. Therese Johaug has ended her career, and so has sprinter Maiken Caspersen Falla. In addition, Heidi Weng and Ingvild Flugstad Östberg have struggled with health problems. In other words, there are big question marks about the form and how things will actually go during the winter.

220305 Therese Johaug of Norway celebrates and cries at the flower ceremony after the women’s 30 km classic technique mass start during the FIS Cross-Country World Cup on March 5, 2022 in Oslo. Photo: Jon Olav Nesvold / BILDBYRÅN

And it is a reality that Norway is well aware of. So much so that Sjur Ole Svarstad, according to langrenn.no, now admits:

– We have probably never been more underdogs than this year.

He continues:

– I believe and hope that many may not have such high expectations of us this year, that they have more realistic expectations, says women’s coach Sjur Ole Svarstad.

Sundling’s answer

In Sweden, however, one is not entirely sure that Norway are calculated and underdogs. Jonna Sundling believes that there is good growth.

– They have it in them. You should never count them out. You never know who’s coming from below. I absolutely believe they will be among the top, says Jonna Sundling to SVT.

201121 Heidi Weng of Norway after the women’s 10 km classic technique interval start during Beitosprinten 2020 on November 21, 2020 in Beitostølen. Photo: Vegard Wivestad Grøtt / BILDBYRÅN

Jonna Sundling, who above all is looking forward to the WC this winter, believes, however, that it is difficult to predict a given advance favorite next season.

– It is very open now that Therese is no longer with us. So it feels like there will be a slightly different result, she says.

READ MORE: The action of the Norwegian superstars – now turns upside down about Russian cross-country skiers in the World Cup: “So it must be, but…”

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