The Ruka World Cup will be held on the 24th–26th. November on channels. The races start on Friday at 10:45 a.m. broadcast by Urheilustudio.
The opening competition of the cross-country skiing world cup will be held next weekend in Ruka. The early season performances of the Finns have been closely followed, but where are Sweden’s and Norway’s toughest skiers?
In Sweden, the season opened in Jällivaara at the same time as the Finnish Cup was contested in Ruka. The hardest performance of the weekend was skied by the top Swedish skier Ebba Andersson.
Andersson, who won two World Championship golds in Planica last winter, clocked a time of 27:56.0 in the 10 km traditional skiing race on Saturday. He left the runner-up far behind Emma Ribomin (+38.4) and up to third Linn Svahnin (+46.8).
Andersson dominated the race from the start, although he even got lost on the wrong track for a moment. However, the crowd guided the Swede in the right direction and to a clear victory.
Last year, he won two World Championship bronze medals Frida Karlsson did not participate in the traditional race, but was involved in the free 10 km race on Sunday. However, a surprise name emerged as the winner of the competition Moa Ilar on 25.25.1. Karlsson (+3.6) finished second and Andersson (+28.6) third.
In Sweden, there was speculation as to whether Karlsson’s race was ruined at six kilometers. Karlsson got stuck on the skis of his competitor on the way up, when he tried to pass the skier in front Josehanna Lundgren Wikström. Karlsson cursed his opponent loudly.
– I must regret my existence. He (Karlsson) got nervous. I didn’t know he was coming after me. Unfortunately, I don’t have eyes in the back of my head, Lundgren Wikström said According to Aftonbladet.
However, Karlsson apologized for his ugly words after the race and stated that the loss was not due to Lundgren Wikström.
In Saturday’s men’s ten kilometer traditional race, he was the fastest Edvin Anger at 24:56.2. The other one was Johan Häggström (+9.6) and third Björn Sandstrom (+9.8).
On Sunday, Switzerland won the men’s 10 km freestyle Cyril Fähndrich with a time of 22:35.6 followed by the Swedes Calle Halfvarsson (+2.8) and Truls Gisselman (+10.8).
The winners of Friday’s sprints were Jonna Sundling and Marcus Grate.
Why is fluoride not tested in Finland?
Expressen asked again Karlsson’s opinion that, for example, skis are not tested for fluoride in the Finnish Cup competitions. Starting this season, fluoride creams are prohibited in international competitions, but are allowed in Ruka’s Suomen Cup, for example.
A week earlier, the Olos Cannonball Competition was a FIS competition, so fluorine creams were prohibited, but the skis were not tested, because the race organizers did not have the opportunity for an expensive test device.
The reporter referred to the article by Sporten.
– I don’t understand why the tests are not done in full in Finland as well. It would be good to teach everyone the same way. Finns seem to be against it (the ban), Karlsson said.
In Sporten’s story, ‘s expert Matias Strandvall explained that Finland has neither the resources nor the capacity to carry out tests in all competitions.
However, the bosses of the Swedish Ski Federation agreed with Karlsson.
– I think it’s strange, and I can’t understand it, stated from the leadership ladder of the Swedish national team Mats Eklund.
In Eklund’s opinion, the entire difficult operation of cleaning the skis will be wasted if fluoride is sometimes used in the skis. In fact, the Finnish national team skiers hardly use fluorine lubrication even in domestic competitions, or at least they don’t mix fluorine with the same skis they use in the World Cup.
Swedish national team manager Andreas Byström however, he pointed out that Sweden should not act as it does in Finland.
– We believe that this cannot be done half-heartedly. It (the fluoride ban) must be taken in full. Also in national competitions. Nothing else works.
Strange talk from Iversen about participating in the World Cup
The ski season also opened in Beitostölen in Norway. Many of the country’s male skiers were still on the sidelines due to virus infections. Those infected with the coronavirus in Olos, among others, were exhausted from the weekend’s games Didrik Tönseth, Håvard Solås Taugböl and Sjur Röthe.
There were also no people on the slopes who had been on the sidelines for a longer period of time due to illness, i.e Johannes Hösflot Kläböa and Tiril Udnes Wengia.
On Sunday, the winners of the freestyle 10 km races were Astrid Öyre Slind and Iver Tildheim Andersen.
On Saturday, the second place in the men’s 10 km traditional skiing competition was skied Emil Iversen. He was 18.3 seconds away from taking the win Erik from Valnes. The third was Great Britain Andrew Musgrave.
Iversen was dropped from the national team last season. Iversen, who is gearing up for a handsome comeback, was asked after the race if he wants to participate in the Ruka World Cup.
– No no no. I think I will refuse (if invited). I feel very safe now with my girlfriend and family. It would be scary to be on the (World Cup) tour with those guys again. Maybe I have to take the lady with me to Finland, Iversen grumbled to the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.
She skied the traditional women’s 10 km to victory with a time of 26:43.6 Heidi Weng, whose last season was partially ruined by concussion recovery. Second in the race was Astrid Öyre Slind (+4.7) and third Margrethe Bergane (+23.1).
On Friday, there was a lot of noise in the country by Ingrid Gulbrandsen performance in women’s sprint qualifying. Left behind, among other things Kristine Stavås Skistadwho won four World Cup sprint races at the end of last season.
– An unknown 23-year-old smashed Skistad, NRK wrote.
In the final race, however, Skistad was stronger when Gulbrandsen was 0.39 seconds behind. Third, skiing Anna Svendsen (+0.73). Erik Valnes won the men’s sprint. The other one was Ansgar Evensen (+0.08) and third Even Northug (+1.56).
On Sunday in Norway, the first fluoridation was also very popular. Philip Glittenberg Holt didn’t get to start the men’s 10 km freestyle race because his skis broke during the test before the race.
The skier was absolutely crazy in an interview with NRK. He said that he had checked exactly the same skis on Thursday, when they got the “green light” in the test device. After that, he said, he didn’t do anything to the skis until they were lubricated. According to him, others who used the same creams had no problems.
– This is really crap, simply. Words fail me. I am speechless, Glittenberg Holt gushed.
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The Ruka World Cup will be held on the 24th–26th. November on channels. The races start on Friday at 10:45 a.m. broadcast by Urheilustudio.