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POSTPONED: World Cup in Lillehammer 4.-6. December is postponed. Here, Mattis Stenshagen is in focus during last season’s Lillehammer run. Photo: Stian Lysberg Solum
There will be no World Cup race in Lillehammer from December 4-6. The board of the Norwegian Ski Association has asked the FIS to postpone the race weekend until later in the season.
This was stated by the Norwegian Ski Association in a press release on Thursday afternoon. The World Cup was to be held 4-6. December.
The press release does not indicate any new current dates for the race weekend. The International Ski Federation (FIS) writes in their press release that they will inform about new dates for the event as soon as possible.
When VG spoke to FIS race director Pierre Mignerey earlier this month, he said that the FIS has set up a reserve weekend in early February in the event of cancellations early in the season. At that time, the International Ski Federation was prepared for several crown cancellations. The World Cup jumping race in Japan is also off the calendar after cancellations due to increased pressure from infection.
– It is the development found in the infection situation that makes us make this decision. There has been close and good work with the health authorities and the government. We have had a good dialogue and a thorough and detailed protocol, but we still think the risk was too high, ski president Erik Røste tells VG.
He says they are already in dialogue with FIS about alternative solutions, and that it should be considered how the weekend can be completed, but it is not clear when.
– It’s too soon to say that. There will also be a trade-off between running a joint weekend or splitting sports, says Røste.
Culture Minister Abid Raja said in a statement to NTB that the decision makes sense.
The leader of the organizing company Lillehammer Olympiapark AS, Per Olav Andersen, says that a postponement has no major financial consequences as long as the World Cup is organized later in the season. A total cancellation will result in a greater loss.
– This will mean that we will at least lose what we normally win in an event of this type. That’s a significant six-figure number, Andersen says.
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The leader of the Lillehammer cross-country World Cup race, Torbjørn Broks Pettersen didn’t expect to be notified now.
– It’s boring, but it’s good to be notified now and not three days before, says Broks Pettersen.
I was on an inspection with NRK at the Natrudstilen ski resort, below Sjusjøen, earlier in the day to see the possibility of moving the slopes from the Olympic stadium due to the snow situation.
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He sees that it can be difficult to get ready later in the season due to the Para WC being held in Lillehammer in February. But he thinks it should be realistic to find a solution.
– They’re all in the same boat here. They can do a weekend in Ruka now and then it will be what will be beyond. It is clear that FIS must have organizers and it is difficult to achieve this at the moment, says Broks Pettersen.
When the crown race was canceled at the end of the ski season, skiing took an extreme direction for several riders:
Broks Pettersen is also the race leader for the season opener at Beitostølen, for cross-country and cross-country skiing. He says that these sewers are not threatened today and that the municipal superior has approved the infection control protocol.
Now they have narrowed this event down to 90 male runners, 55 female runners, and 55 coaches and lubricators.
– It’s the absolute minimum. But we must manage this, he says.
