British skier Andrew Musgrave does not digest the decision of the International Ski Federation FIS when the Holmenkollen classic race was cancelled.
Cross-country skiing’s classic race, the traditional Holmenkollen 50 kilometers, is no longer on the race program in the next season 2024–2025. The Swedish, among others, reported on the matter Aftonbladet and Norwegian VG.
The 2025 World Cup in Trondheim is the reason for the cancellation of the Holmenkollen race.
– The Holmenkollen 50 kilometers would come right after the World Championships in Trondheim. That’s why 50 kilometers is not in the program, FIS cross-country competition manager Michal Lamplot explains to Aftonbladet.
For example, a year ago, after the World Championships in Planica, many of Finland’s top athletes missed the Holmenkollen race.
For the first time, 50 kilometers were skied on Holmenkollen back in 1888, and the distance has been regularly skied near Oslo since 1902. Norwegian writer Thor in Gota is amazed at the cancellation of the race.
– Holmenkollen’s 50 kilometers is one of the oldest sports events in the world. This is like Wimbledon not being held because of the Olympics.
Among the top skiers, Great Britain has decided to take a stand Andrew Musgrave.
More than 100,000 spectators will watch the event every year. Musgrave has participated in the classic race 11 times.
– This is the only race all year when people come in droves to watch the race by the slopes. I don’t know who has decided that it is too hard to ski 50 kilometers a week after the World Championships, the British skier has said according to Aftonbladet.
Musgrave considers Holmenkollen’s fifties to be very viewer-friendly. However, in some years the festival atmosphere of Norwegian fans has gotten out of hand. For example in 2018 the Swedish skiers got beer down their necks.
– When I’ve finished my skiing career, I want to go to the forest, pull out my boots and watch from the side as they ski 50 kilometers.
Norwegian World Cup medalist and long distance specialist Astrid Öyre Slind also thinks it’s special that the race was canceled citing the World Championships.
– Last year I skied the Vasaloppet between the 30 kilometers of the World Championships and the 50 kilometers of Holmenkollen. I think the decision of the FIS is stupid. For example, endurance running can have two runs in a weekend and no one complains about it.
Sweden’s top skiers also criticized the decision.
– I think the competition should be moved forward a week, so that the weekend after the World Championships would be free, says Frida Karlsson.
– This doesn’t seem funny at all. This was not nice to hear, sorry William Poromaa.
Sources: Aftonbladet, VG, Helsingin Sanomat