Andrew Musgrave, who succeeded in 50 kilometers, did not like the fact that at the Beijing Olympics the distance was shortened to 30 kilometers due to severe frost. Sports expert Toni Roponen thought the decision made sense.
ZHANGJIAKOU. The closing weekend of the Beijing Olympics in Zhangji has begun in very freezing conditions. Due to the biting and strong cold wind, the temperature has felt up to 25 degrees below zero.
The Council of Cross-Country Skiing Judges decided to reduce the royal distance of skiing, ie the 50-kilometer race to 30 kilometers. In addition, the start of the competition was postponed by an hour. The race will be run on a 7.1-kilometer run, when the race was originally intended to run on an 8.3-kilometer run.
– The FIS has just shortened the Olympics’ 50-kilometer race to 28 kilometers because it is a bit cold and windy. I don’t see why it makes the race any warmer or windier. What a joke! Musgrave read the decision.
50 kilometers is one of Musgrave’s success stories. Musgrave was fourth in the Lahti World Championships in 2017 and seventh last year in Oberstdorf. Norwegian-Irish Thomas Maloney Westgård slapped Musgrave sharing his tweet.
– I wonder if other athletes are afraid of the weather? Maloney Westgård wrote (moving to another service) throwing that the weather is no different from a windy day in the Scottish Highlands.
Sports Expert Toni Roponen considered the reduction in competition to be justified.
– The transition is very important, because in 50 kilometers many athletes have problems with their energies. 50 miles is far more dangerous to ski in severe frost than 30 miles because an athlete runs out of energy. In severe frosts, tragic snatches can occur. Athletes do not necessarily recognize or know them, Roponen says.
One of the toughest and longest of the 50-kilometer race was staged in advance at Zhangjiakou. In the pre-speculation, it was thought that the race would take two hours, even with top names.
– The duration is now estimated at 1 hour and 25 minutes or 1 hour and 30 minutes. It does not cause problems in energy balance, Roponen says.
Still a raw race
Despite the shortening, Roponen certainly believes that the competition will be a raw ordeal.
– It is positive that there have been very cold conditions here all along. Most athletes have been here for two to three weeks. You are used to the circumstances. For example, the men’s opening trip to skiathlon was skied in very challenging conditions, Roponen says.
Roponen believes that athletes will see all kinds of tunings so that they can protect themselves from the cold as much as possible.
– We’ll see your face properly taped. Heat shields under the ski suit. Perhaps even inside socks are electrically heated socks, Roponen says.
Although the frosts have their own health risks, Roponen reminds us that the race is a unique experience for many athletes to achieve success at the Olympics.
“They are not wondering if they will return to Falun’s” hippo “, but they want to fight for the Olympic victory, Roponen emphasizes.
A sensible decision from Iivo Niskanen
Medal of color straight at the Olympics grabbed Iivo Niskanen abstained from the decision-making process, arguing that the lungs were no longer at their best due to severe frost and dry air.
What do you think Iivo Niskanen thinks about these moves and severe frosts on the couch at home?
– Certainly Iivo thinks that fortunately they did not change the skiing method to the traditional one, Roponen laughs.
– By no means would the transfers have changed the decision. A free 30 kilometers or 50 kilometers would not have been a potential medal trip for Iivo. In that sense, Iivo made a very sensible decision. With three medals and Olympic gold in his pocket, places 4-7 would no longer have warmed up.
– 28 km of the royal journey. It’s easy to shout from this couch, but I can only imagine how the decision felt about Holund, for example, Niskanen tweeted. Norwegian Hans Christer Holund celebrated gold at the Seefeld World Championships in 2019 on a royal voyage.
The race will see two Finnish skiers Perttu Hyvärinen and Remi Lindholm. Roponen believes that Hyvärinen will be able to reach the top ten if he has recovered well from previous trips to the race. According to Roponen, Lindholm has a realistic ranking in the top 30.
Roponen says that the heavy frost will rain on the Russians, like Alexander Bolshunov, Denis Spitsovin and Artyom Maltsevin laariin. They are used to competing even in severe frosts. On the other hand, the expert believes that the Norwegian stars Johannes Hösflot Kläbo benefits from a shorter race distance.
– There will be very tough competition. There are six or eight athletes who stay in one group, Roponen says.
The 30-kilometer race will now start at 9.00 Finnish time. It can be followed on Sport’s website, Puhe and on TV. You can access Sport’s Olympic coverage here.