New proposal can change cross-country skiing completely.
This has provoked strong reactions in Norway.
– It must not happen, says Heidi Weng.
The distances in cross-country skiing have always been different on the women’s and men’s side. Until next season, that may change. FIS has in fact proposed that everyone should run equal distances next competition year.
Strongly against the proposal
When the men have traveled 50 kilometers, the ladies have walked 30 kilometers, for example. At a meeting last week when the FIS committee met a week ago, the proposal that everyone should walk equal distances was given a majority in the vote.
All indications are that the proposal will be voted through on Wednesday. But according to NRK, the Norwegian practitioners agree that they are opposed to the proposal.
According to a survey, a large majority of women, almost nine out of ten, are against the proposal. And the big star Heidi Weng is one of the riders who does not hope that the change will go through.
Great anger
– I am not in favor of the proposal. We spend more time at the same distance and are then out longer than the guys are. So I hope this will not happen. To get the excitement up, in with 7.5 or 5 kilometers. More who will fight for the podium, she says.
The Italian cross-country skier Virginia de Martin Topranin will represent the skiers when the proposal is to be voted on. She is clear that the opinion of practitioners is of the utmost importance.
– It is very important that we have a say, and will vote against this proposal in Milan. We have done everything we can in this case, she says and continues:
– A 50 kilometers can lead to greater distances. At the same time, there have been great distances with Therese Johaug in recent seasons, so it is not certain that distances are the point here.
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