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At some distance from where I sit and relate these lines, the Norwegian team has its base secured by crown here in Ruka.
A member of the staff has had a really difficult day.
Men’s coach Eirik Myhr Nossum tested positive for COVID-19 for the first time, causing the entire Norwegian team to be quarantined for lightning.
From time to time, the 2020-2021 Cross-Country Skiing World Cup lived, to put it mildly, dangerous.
A World Cup premiere without skiers from the world’s best ski nation at the starting line would have been a sporting disaster. Trust that voices have been raised, rightly so, to stop all the misery immediately.
But a few hours after the announcement of Nossum’s positive test, a new message arrived: Hope and hello, everything is fine, because now Eirik has tested negative.
– I am very relieved, said the director of competition of the International Ski Federation, Pierre Mignerey, to NRK when he transmitted the news.
I think so. This is usually when you have stumbled over the edge of the abyss but regained your balance at the last minute.
But the whole story of the chaotic hours here in Ruka is just another sign of how fragile the foundation of this World Cup is.
A positive test turns negative half a day later. So how much can we really trust these tests?
I’m really not the man to answer that question. But … my own experience with covid testing in recent days has not directly reassured me.
In four days I have had to do three tests. One in Stockholm, one in Haparanda and more recently one here in Ruka.
Interestingly, they were all carried out in completely different ways. And the first test was also removed from the lab for four days before it was suddenly found again.
Well, all the tests came back negative.
But no, I cannot say that I feel particularly calm and safe because of the ease with which everything has been lived.
And then everything has happened in Sweden and Finland. Two countries with extremely high medical status in the world.
I already wrote during the national premiere in Bruksvallarna last week that I am deeply skeptical of Fi’s plan to run the World Cup as usual. Not only is it naive, the decision can also ruin entire races for skiers affected by the infection.
Because believe me, no matter how many bubbles are created for cyclists, the infection will find its way somewhere.
And then chaos returns.
* * *
– God, how grumpy you are, this is going to be fun, muttered my colleague Ludvig Holmberg who is sitting a bit far away.
Hey yeah, “Ludde” has a bit of a point.
I’m quite a crybaby. And if we put on a mental visor that drives away all thoughts of infection, illness, and long testing, of course there is an incredible amount of sport to look forward to.
We have a sprint on Friday where I suspect Sweden will line up with 3-4 women who can finish on the podium.
We have distance races on Saturday Sunday where Sweden competes with two women (Frida Karlsson, Ebba Andersson) who can take two places on the podium.
We have a top shaped William “Savior” Poromaa that will now hopefully walk on icy water for three days.
Sure, we should probably try to enjoy it this weekend.
The truth is that none of us know if there will be another World Cup this winter.
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