PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Frida Karlssons complained about bad skis in the relay.
Now she gets unexpected support from Norway in the form of Petter Northug.
– Sweden has not been at its best every day. And then it’s easy for it to explode when it happens again, says the Norwegian ski profile to Radiosporten.
Sweden were big favorites before Thursday’s relay, but failed to live up to the high expectations. Instead, it was Norway who surprised and salvaged the WC gold after an extremely impressive effort in the relay.
Karlsson’s criticism
The aftermath was mostly about the blue-yellow disappointment that the guarding was not right at all. Above all Frida Karlsson expressed her clear criticism of the Swedish gelding team because she could not keep up with the top battle and lost far too much in the third leg.
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Now unexpected support comes from Norway to Frida. It is the Norwegian skiing legend Peter Northug who agrees with the Swede that Sweden did not have as good skis as the Norwegian skiers.
– It has been a theme that has been discussed in the media and I saw that Frida was dissatisfied. I don’t think it has been top skiing, as she says. And maybe not at Maja either. I support Frida that it was not 100 percent on the skis, says the Norwegian to Radiosporten.
READ MORE: Frida Karlsson and Ebba Andersson’s clear criticism of the national skiing team – after the relay miss: “I’m surprised”
Northug’s support
The former skiing star is now an expert for Norwegian TV2 and is on site during the skiing WC in Planica. Northug also admits that the open conflict between the Swedish riders and the pack team surprises him.
– Yes, it surprised me. It indicates that there was an irritation there before that built up to these statements. It is clear, it has not been at its best every day for Sweden. And then it is easy for it to explode when it happens again. And that shouldn’t happen, says Northug in the interview.
– I think that Sweden should have been able to follow Norway better in the competition for the gold.
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When it comes to his own skiing career, Petter Northug admits that he himself never blamed his team after a race.
– Well, I never did. I still won with bad skis, says the Norwegian jokingly in the radio interview.
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READ MORE: Frida Karlsson’s surprising confession in the skiing World Cup – opens up about changing sports: “If I’m going to stop…”