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OBERSTDORF / OSLO (Dagbladet): Sunday’s five miles, the final exercise in the WC, will probably be remembered for a long time. Not just because of Emil Iversen’s gold, but because of the violent drama that unfolded after the end.
Femmila finished with Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and Aleksandr Bolshunov crashing into the race. Klæbo went over the goal first, while Bolshunov destroyed the pole and passed as number three, behind Emil Iversen
Russia immediately filed a protest and the jury decided to remove Klæbo. Right now it is Emil Iversen who is claiming the World Cup gold, but Norway can appeal the decision to the FIS cross country committee until Tuesday afternoon.
Iversen is not surprised
The newly crowned world champion also felt sorry for his teammate who was disqualified. Iversen believes that Bolshunov is scary on the field.
– I’ve looked at it in hindsight, and I feel like it’s a “racing accident”, and I think it’s hard for him to be ruled out. Johannes is very kind in the field, and you may not be able to say the same about him. He has a lot of incidents where I feel like he’s breaking the rules, Iversen tells Dagbladet.
– Do you think Bolshunov does it on purpose?
– I think so. That doesn’t surprise me at all. It’s scary in the field. I’ve said it before and I stand by it.
The Russian bear was involved in a situation in Lahti before the World Cup. In a downhill race, the Finn Jon Mäki was literally run over by the Russian.
Iversen thinks it’s special that the Russian reacts as strongly as he does when he’s been through the same thing before himself.
– It’s strange. He chose to take it straight down, and he didn’t like it, so it was a little weird that he did it himself today.
– Worried about taking John away
Norway’s coach Eirik Myhr Nossum didn’t like what Bolshunov did. He also feels sorry for Høsflot Klæbo.
– I do not agree with the assessment of the situation that Johannes is convicted of obstruction. I mean that the situation is built by a practitioner who does not seek a normal line. He’s more concerned with taking John than choosing a clue. I’m very sorry for Johannes, Myhr Nossum tells Dagbladet.
– What do you think of him doing that?
– It is natural that you want to optimize things for yourself and make things difficult for others, but here you put people in a situation that becomes a situation. There is something called that you must follow a natural line. That’s what I feel like it’s not doing here, go on.
– He is probably dissatisfied, as I understand it, he was dissatisfied that he was not awarded the gold and that Emil got it.
Bolshunov’s response
Alexander Bolshunov has been accused by Myhr Nossum of doing it on purpose. The 24-year-old Russian says he had no alternatives.
– I had no choice. The best choice I could make was to take the correct line. It was the only way he could increase speed. So I made that decision and took the right line, Bolshunov tells Dagbladet.
VERY LOW: Alexander Bolshunov. Photograph: Bjørn Langsem / Dagbladet
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This is happening now
Norway now has 48 hours to appeal the verdict. Espen Bjervig confirms that the Ski Federation has lawyers who are attentive to the situation, but although everything indicates that an appeal will come, it will not confirm it now:
– Now we are working for an appeal, but I don’t think that with adrenaline up to my ear I will stay here and say that there will be an appeal. I think I’ll let it go for 48 hours, then those who are better than me will be able to work with the FIS competition rules.
– What do you think of the situation?
– Comes faster on the outside and tries his best that he may not be an obstacle for Bolshunov, who clearly slips. It turns inward and glides down even the innermost track to close the hatch and get Johannes out of the way. I think John is doing what he can. Obviously, the jury disagrees with us and believes that Johannes is an obstacle for Bolshunov.
