– Skiing without Norway is like football without Zlatan – NRK Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule

– Fy f …, I thought. Swedish mountaineers ended up in the same situation last weekend. Then I suffered with them and now I suffer with the Norwegians. A competition without Norwegian athletes is not the same in skiing. Super sad, Svahn concluded to NRK.

That was before the national team coach, Eirik Myhr Nossum, received an answer for test number two. First came the message that Nossum had received the crown. It turned out to be wrong.

This means that Norwegian athletes compete in the World Cup in Ruka, and now they can hit the track and prepare for the first race on Friday.

– It was unbelievably good. I’ve been locked in that apartment for 24 hours, so it was nice to get some fresh air, Johaug tells NRK.

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Thanks for the support

In the hours before the response to the second crown event came in, there was great uncertainty as to whether the Norwegian athletes would lose the World Cup.

The director of the Swedish national cross-country ski team, Anders Byström, offered to help the Norwegians.

– I heard that it may be the case that leaders and lubricators do not shut up, but that the runners do shut up. So I think we can help in solidarity, Byström told NRK, continuing:

– We talked about that. The lubrication team has talked about it and then we’ll see if it gets serious, he said.

Now Therese Johaug appreciates the support.

– If there had been someone else in that situation, we would have had compassion. We all want to go cross-country skiing where the best are at the beginning. Nobody wants to get infected in a squad. It can be a lesson for everyone. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, says Johaug.

Cross-country skier Ebba Andersson thought the Swedes would do the right thing to help the Norwegians.

– I think it would be fair and reasonable to help them. Had it been the opposite, we would have appreciated it too, cross-country skier Ebba Andersson told NRK.

Svahn believes there would have been a crisis if the Norwegian athletes had to go home.

– Skiing without Norway is like football without Zlatan and basketball without Michael Jordan. It will not be the same, it is at that level. It’s like missing a little bit of skiing, Svahn said.

The biggest competitor

Thus, Frida Karlsson, Andersson and Svahn can prepare for a Norwegian-Swedish duel. Last week there was a heated discussion between the Norwegian and Swedish riders about who will be the best this season.

– You want to meet the best, Karlsson tells NRK.

– It would have been very boring if they didn’t start. It is the leading nation. You want all the best to start. So I hope they handle this well and can be part of the start, says Andersson.

Cross-country skiers are confident that Finland will be able to complete the race in the best possible way.

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