PHOTO: Bildbyrån
It was not a painless start to the ladies’ distance race.
The problem has caused a lot of anger, even though the FIS was puddling.
– This is a scandal, says commentator Ole Kristian Stoltenberg to NRK.
On Saturday, the women’s 10 kilometer classic was carried out during the World Cup premiere in Ruka. It was a successful race for Sweden, then Ebba Andersson won and Frida Karlsson came third.
Finnish nightmare
In addition to Ebba and Frida, two Swedes also made the top ten, Moa Ilar (four) and Lynn Svahn (nine).
But it wasn’t just the Swedes’ success that was talked about in connection with the distance race. For two skaters, who were second and third in the track, their poles broke in half at the start. This after an error on the starting gate.
The article continues after the picture.
It took a while for their surprised leader to fix new staves, because they both lost valuable time due to the problem.
Finnish Vilma Rytty was one of those affected.
– I had some challenges at the start. It was a problem. The starter pin opened too quickly, and the rider behind me had the same problem. I thought “Oh my God, what am I going to do now?”. I didn’t know if I would get a fresh start or not. It was embarrassing because there were so many Finnish supporters cheering me on, and I just stood there, says Ryytty according to Dagbladet.
Stoltenberg rages
International Ski Federation (FIS) media coordinator Doris Kallen admitted after the race that they had made a mistake.
– The starting stick got stuck at one point, and when the practitioners moved, it hit them. We saw it immediately and fixed the problem. We tested the stick before the race and early today, but unfortunately this can still happen, says Kallen to the Norwegian newspaper.
The article continues after the picture.
NRK’s commentator Ole Christian Stoltenberg became enraged by FIS’ mistakes.
– This is a scandal. The performers are completely innocent, he says in the channel’s broadcast.
Stoltenberg’s commentator colleague Fredrik Aukland fills in:
– Talk about an organizer error. This is a mistake that could have major consequences for the best riders. The pictures show that the practitioners are completely innocent, it is the starting stick that breaks the stick across.
READ MORE: Petter Northug’s neat slip to Calle Halfvarsson – after the Swede’s intimate revelation: “Three months without feeling”
Svahn’s concern
Linn Svahn was the fifth rider out in the tracks, but was able to avoid having the pole broken.
– You get worried. It went well for me, but I tried to be extra careful, says Svahn according to Dagbladet.
READ MORE: Gunde Svan’s clear concern for Swedish skiing today – the icon sees problems and compares to Norway: “It doesn’t work”
Sign up for our newsletter
Share