Frida Karlsson stood over the five mile in Holmenkollen – and the participation was record low.
Now Mathias Fredriksson demands change.
– It is unsustainable, says the SVT expert.
It was a historic competition that took place in Norway on Sunday. For the first time, the ladies were to compete in the full five kilometers in the World Cup, but participation was a record low. Frida Karlsson and Ebba Andersson were both supposed to compete, but both Swedish stars withdrew.
The criticism after the Swedish defections
The reason was a cold, but already on Tuesday Frida Karlsson will compete again in the World Cup. Many withdrew from the competitions, and the criticism of the competition being added just a week after the WC, where skaters pushed themselves to the absolute limit, ended has been massive.
The riders who did participate were also critical and said that the planning needs to be better. And after, among others, Frida Karlsson’s departure, SVT expert Mathias Fredriksson is now also criticizing the competitions.
– I think it is due to the fact that the competitions, which are five miles, came very close to the WC which just ended. In the long term, it is unsustainable to have World Cup competitions in Holmenkollen where 36 men and 32 women start, he says in a clip on SVT’s website.
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“Must look into it”
Mathias Fredriksson now believes that Fis must review its routines, so that in the long term interest in the longer competitions in Holmenkollen increases.
– Here Fis must review the competition program so that it suits the smaller nations better, plus you must provide financial support so that everyone can afford to compete there, he says.
The Norwegian Ragnhild Haga won the first, historic five-mile in Holmenkollen. The favorites in advance were Ebba Andersson and Frida Karlsson, but in their absence it was Norwegian who was at the top of the podium. Already on Tuesday, however, it is time for Frida Karlsson to compete again, when a sprint is expected in Drammen.
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