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It is not just the Norwegian national team that is expecting a giant bill as a result of this winter’s World Cup.
As expected, the mandatory crown tests were introduced in connection with the winter World Cup in cross-country skiing.
However, it can be a problem for several nations, as the FIS has decided that the teams must pay for the events themselves.
As Nettavisen wrote last week, the Norwegian Ski Association estimates that it will have to pay more than a million crowns for tests related to the national cross-country team if cheaper testing methods are not implemented soon.
– I have not counted on this, but I am aware that it may be a significant amount, cross-country manager Espen Bjervig answers Nettavisen’s questions about what he thinks about the million dollar bill.
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Waiting for giant bill
However, that bill is only a small change compared to what the Russian national team expects to have to spend on crown tests this winter.
In an interview with the Daily Skier website, Russian cross-country director Jelena Välbe says that, unlike Bjervig, they have calculated the costs they can expect in relation to the crowning test.
And the answer is not a lighthearted reading in the Russian countryside.
– We normally have more than 60 people traveling for the World Cup. Includes athletes, coaches, and other support personnel. We have counted on it. With testing at each location, it will cost between 500,000 and 530,000 euros, says Välbe.
This corresponds to more than 5.3 million NOK at the current exchange rate.
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WINTER WITHOUT SAFETY WAITING: Jelena Välbe is the top coach of the Russian national cross country team with Alexander Bolshunov at the helm.
Photo: Fredrik Hagen (NTB)
Prices for corona tests vary in Europe. The director of the Norwegian national team has perceived that the average price should be around 1,500 crowns per person, but Välbe says that the Russians paid almost 2,500 crowns each in connection with their trip to Finland, where the Russian team is now preparing to the opening of the World Cup.
Fear of the smallest nations
Russia, along with Norway and Sweden, have the biggest cross-country skiing World Cup teams. Therefore, they can also expect to have the highest total amounts for the crown events at the World Cup this winter.
However, it is the smaller teams that are most feared for this season.
Several of the nations already have a very tight budget and the expenses related to covid-19 testing may therefore cause some runners to have to stand in competitions until winter.
At least that is what the director of FIS, Pierre Mignerey, fears.
– It is true that this will probably lead to fewer participants in the World Cup competitions next winter, Mignerey tells Nettavisen.
– The test will definitely generate additional costs for the participants. It’s difficult to predict exactly how much it will cost, as testing methods are constantly evolving and because costs differ from country to country, says Mignerey.
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Regardless, he thinks it’s a challenge.
– Each extra cost is definitely not good neither for the organizers, nor for the teams nor for those involved in general, says the race director.
The Cross Country Ski World Cup kicks off in Ruka, Finland, on November 27.
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