A new era has begun in women’s international skiing, after Therese Johaug. From the point of view of the sport, it is desirable that the change is also visible at the turn of the year Tour de Ski, writes Atte Husu.
Having dominated women’s skiing for the last few years Therese Johaug said goodbye to the world cup tracks in March, no one was breathing down the Norwegian star’s neck in the results list.
As if to underline his superiority, in the last individual start of his career, Johaug broke a gap of no less than 35 seconds to the second-placed Sweden To Jonna Sundling. In terms of the winning margin, it was Johaug’s most crushing performance in the World Cup intermediate starts in more than two years.
However, there was a silver lining to the competition. In terms of the future, it was exciting that Sundling was followed by six athletes, incl Krista Pärmäkoski and Kerttu Niskanenfit within 15 seconds.
Women’s skiing has been a celebration for Norwegians for the past ten years. First the pace stick was waved Marit Björgenfollowed by Johaug.
Supremacy is described by the fact that only Sweden is on the normal trips of the prestigious competitions Charlotte Kalla and Poland Justyna Kowalczyk managed to be ahead of the Norwegians. Kalla succeeded in the trick three times, Kowalczyk once.
Besides Johaug, Björgen, Kalla and Kowalczyk, only Norwegian Ragnhild Haga owns one personal value race gold from normal trips.
The prestigious race victories of this five in the years 2013–2022 are united by one thing: avoiding the Tour de Ski, which is contested at the turn of the year, until the last.
Data is a cold read. After the World Championships in Falun in 2015, all the World Championships and Olympic gold medals for the women’s regular distances have gone to athletes who did not participate in the Tour that preceded the prestigious competitions.
Björgen started a boycott rally
The above-mentioned readings are humiliating for the International Ski Federation FIS and especially for the Norwegian chairman of its cross-country committee Vegard to Ulvang.
Tour de Ski is Ulvang’s and the association’s former marketing manager Jürg Capolin a creation that debuted at the turn of 2006–2007. In the first years, the tour enjoyed the appreciation of the athletes, and skipping it was out of the question.
The boycott rally was opened by Björgen, who skipped the Tour before the 2010 Vancouver Olympics – and ended up being the most successful skier in the five-ring games with three golds, one silver and a bronze.
Boycotting the Tour or suspending it in the early stages has also been part of the success formula for some male skiers, such as Iivo in Niskase. In the women’s category, the pattern of recent years is still clear: the world’s best has won the tour from far away.
Finally back to the old days?
The vacancy for the world’s best female skier has been open since last March. The first five normal distance races of the beginning of the season have been offered by four different winners: Kerttu Niskanen, Ebba Andersson, Jessica Diggins and Frida Karlsson. Of them, Karlsson has been able to win twice.
The foursome have participated in the Tour de Ski with a commendable percentage, as has Krista Pärmäkoski, who has taken the top spots this season.
Right now, the competitive situation is tighter than in the past, when you think about the World Championships in Planica, which are waiting in February. In a tight fight for victory, skiers seek an advantage over their competitors in many different ways, for example by pacing the training. That could mean missing the Tour at the turn of the year.
The solution should be understandable. Every skier is entitled to plan his competition calendar so that it serves his goals in the best possible way.
But.
Although the early season victory battles have been more exciting than in recent years, the exclusion of Russian skiers from international competitions has been a heavy blow to the sport.
That’s why cross-country skiing needs its best forces more than ever for the Tour de Skill, just like in the old days. A hard-level tour, starred by the top players, would be much-needed medicine for the sport’s international interest value.
So Niskanen, Pärmäkoski and partners, do skiing a favor and don’t follow the example of Johaug and Björgen!