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Who Makes the Team? Debate Rages as Experts Weigh Norwegian Skiing Roster
– In the sizeable picture, I’m not worried about Norwegian cross-country skiing. The talent is everywhere. There are much bigger challenges in getting some breadth in international men’s cross-country skiing. I’m much more concerned about that,” says NRK expert Torgeir Bjørn.
The statement came at the finish of an interview with Dagbladet, where the topic was the national team for next season.
This season, many athletes outside the national team have excelled on the cross-country skiing circuit, including Einar Hedegart (three Olympic gold medals) and Emil Iversen, among others.
Many on the national team have struggled, and there will likely be major changes next winter. At this year’s Winter Olympics, nine of the 16 athletes in the cross-country skiing squad were not on the national team.
– It’s more threatened than ever,” Petter Northug told NTB about the national team model at the time.
In this story, Dagbladet initially asked Torgeir Bjørn who he would like to spot on the national team for next season, but he wants clarification on some questions first.
– What has characterized this season is that many skiers outside the elite team are flourishing and developing,” says Bjørn, adding: “So, there are many sporting arguments for allowing them to continue to be on their private teams. At the same time, you depend on a national team, meaning you have to have national team skiers to finance the World Cup season.
“If We Don’t Have a National Team Anymore”
He points to Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, who has been given free rein and followed his own training program, even though he is on the national team.
He also looks at examples on the women’s side:
– You have Kristine Stavås Skistad who works at home in the local environment in Konnerud. Astrid Øyre Slind has also followed her own program.
– The question is: Should everyone be allowed to do the same? asks Bjørn, referring to whether athletes can have their own training program while being on the national team.
He follows up his own question:
– Because then we will soon not have a national team left to finance it. And one thing is the training season, you can easily do that outside the national team. But we have a World Cup season where the support apparatus must be financed.
“The Entire Model is at Stake”
He repeats himself that it must be clarified whether more people should be allowed to have their own setup, such as Klæbo.
Dagbladet points out to Bjørn that the national team should be the most attractive for a cross-country skier in Norway.
– Yes, I agree that the national team model has been a success for Norway over time. First, you must clarify whether you are allowed to say no to the national team or not.
He mentions that non-national team skiers such as Julie Bjervig Drivenes, Einar Hedegart, Karoline Simpson-Larsen, Karoline Grøtting, Lars Heggen and Emil Iversen should be offered a place on the team. Mattis Stenshagen is also in the mix.
– If all these people I’m talking about here, who should of course be offered an elite spot, if they say no, then that’s a clear indication that you have to change the training setup.
– If they were to say no, is that a clear indication that you have to change the training setup?
– Yes, the entire model is at stake. So you have to have your tongue in your cheek now and see the big picture. I don’t have a definitive answer on how to do it.
Klæbo has long been clear – including in the Tour de Ski – that he believes the training setup on the national team should be changed. He trains a lot at altitude – unlike the national team skiers.
Bjørn: They Can’t Be Free Riders
Torgeir Bjørn also wants another clarification. He mentions the importance of financing the support apparatus and the wax technicians.
– If you are on the national team, you help support the sponsors and thus finance the support apparatus. But if those outside accept a place, but say no, they may have to pay a fee to finance the apparatus throughout the winter.
He believes that athletes who say no cannot be free riders.
– These big structural and principled things should be clarified before you go into names on the elite team.
The cross-country skiing season is coming to a close for many with the NM on Lygna next weekend. There, several skiers have a lot on the line as they attempt to craft a strong case for the national team next season.
