This was confirmed by national team manager Per Elias Kalfoss to TV 2.
– Was it Kristine herself who wanted to go home, or did you send her home?
– That dialogue was handled by Sjur Ole (Svarstad) with Kristine, so I will be careful to say what they talked about. But it is us who decide who will participate in the next events,” says Kalfoss.
– How did she take the news?
– I experienced it as positive. I had a conversation with Kristine in the morning before she left. My experience was that she was relieved and thought it was okay to come home instead of being here waiting,” said the national team manager.
TV 2 has attempted to contact Skistad’s coach, Lage Sofienlund, but has not yet received a response.
Kristine Stavås Skistad herself has also not responded to TV 2’s inquiries.
Skistad was part of Norway’s team in the sprint on Tuesday, but was visibly disappointed after being overtaken by the Swedes and finishing in fifth place.
Oskar Opstad Vike, Ingrid Bergene Aabrekk, and Milla Grossberghaugen Andreassen have also left the Olympic city.
– They are not relevant for further events, and the season is not over. It is then more sensible for them to go home and train under better conditions than we have here,” Kalfoss told TV 2.
Wednesday’s schedule features the sprint relay. Kristine Stavås Skistad, along with the other athletes who departed, will not participate.
Skistad competed in the event at the World Championships in Trondheim alongside Lotta Udnes Weng, where the Norwegian duo finished seventh.
“It’s perfectly natural for her to go home, as even with a silver medal in the sprint World Championships last year, she was unfortunately completely outmatched by the strong Swedes in the team sprint in Granåsen. It is therefore right for the Ski Federation to prioritize other types of runners for the team sprint, where I think they are weighing more alternatives against each other,” says TV 2’s cross-country skiing expert, Petter Skinstad.
Likely candidates for the women’s team sprint in the Olympics include Julie Bjervig Drivenes, Heidi Weng, Astrid Øyre Slind, and Kristin Austgulen Fosnæs.
“Personally, I think we should focus on capacity and go for a medal, and then it is runners like Heidi Weng and Astrid Øyre Slind who stand out on the first leg. On the final leg, I would like to see Julie Bjervig Drivenes, who showed in Goms that she has an enormous finish in skating and has shown here that she is in top form,” says Skinstad.
On the men’s side, Erik Valnes, Harald Østberg Amundsen, and Einar Hedegart could produce up the Norwegian team alongside Johannes Høsflot Klæbo.
