PHOTO: Bildbyrån
This weekend it’s time for the classic five-mile race in Holmenkollen.
But after that there are big changes for the race in Norway.
Which causes the Swedish skiers to react strongly.
One of the year’s most talked about races at the World Cup in cross-country skiing is the classic five-mile in Holmenkollen. The prestigious competition always attracts large crowds and on Saturday and Sunday it will be so again.
Poromaa’s criticism
But by next season, the race will disappear completely and the future looks bleak for the five-mile on Norwegian soil. Which causes our Swedish skiers to react with harsh criticism.
– Then I think they will completely remove themselves. Then I won’t compete in Holmenkollen any more. I see no reason to go there after a championship and ride a 10 kilometer race, says Jens Burman to SVT.
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Also the national team colleague William Poromaa is really annoyed.
– To remove it would be a shot in the foot, he says to the television channel.
– It would have been tragic and a big defeat. I really hope it doesn’t go in that direction.
Sundling answers
The reason that the five-mile in Holmenkollen will disappear next season is because of the World Ski Championships in Trondheim in 2025. In addition, the interest of the skiers was very low for that distance at the World Cup last year, the International Ski Federation (FIS) announces.
– Holmenkollen deserves more. It’s an iconic race and a highlight. It should be a competition where everyone wants to participate and fight for good results. That was not the case last year and that is one reason why we made the decision, says Fis competition director Michael Lamplot in an official statement.
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The Fis boss hopes that the five-mile in Holmenkollen can return to the World Cup in the future. But unlike the men, the ladies welcome the disappearance of the five-mile, as it is too tough and far too far.
– Ski classics can be run when it is Ski classics. This is the World Cup and then you can run shorter races, says the Norwegian star skater Heidi Weng to NRK.
– Three miles is long enough and it will be almost twice as far to walk five miles, says the Swedish sprint specialist Jonna Sundling to the Norwegian Channel.
READ MORE: Ebba Andersson now breaks the silence about why things went so badly during the winter – admits herself: “It has been challenging”
Last year, there were only 32 skiers, twelve of whom were Norwegian, who came to the start when the ladies competed for the first time at the same distance as the men. The only Swedish female skier who is really looking forward to the five-mile this year is Frida Karlsson.
– I have never done a five-mile, so I think it will be fun to try, she says to NRK.
What do you think of the classic five-mile in Holmenkollen? Share the article and have your say!
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