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Both the Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian cross-country ski teams have chosen to drop out of the remaining World Cup competitions in 2020.
On Tuesday, Norway also announced that it is opting to abstain from the Ski Tour due to the spread of covid-19.
– The risk of exposing a team to covid-19 weighs more in the decision to abandon the Ski Tour. Traveling within Europe during a pandemic carries an unacceptably high risk of infection, Öystein Andersen, medical director of the Norwegian national team, explained in a press release.
Since then, the question of whether Sweden would participate has been debated, and good news arrived on Friday: Sweden will start on New Year’s Day.
The doctor: “No major risk”
The decision could be made after the national team doctor Per “Pliggen” Andersson gave the go-ahead.
– It is clear that this has been difficult, a very difficult decision. It’s not an obvious decision by any means, says Andersson when SportExpressen catches up with it.
– But the union has done a fantastic job to ensure the safest possible situation.
The Ski Tour is decided in three locations starting in the Swiss Val Müstair on New Years Day and Sweden’s participation is covered by a great planning effort to minimize the risk of infection. Among other things, the team will fly there in its own plane.
– With the approach we have now, I want to say that we do not run a greater risk of going to the Tour de ski than being at home and competing, says Per “Pliggen” Andersson.
“I have a great responsibility”
What do you mean?
– It is an exceptional arrangement that is sewn together. With your own flight, your own corridor at the airport, individual accommodation, special food solutions, etc.
You have previously said that the development of the spread of the infection would be decisive for the decision. So how do you justify this decision?
– Yes, that’s an important part. But we are seeing a clear decline in Switzerland and Italy, albeit the other way around in Sweden.
If there are still some infected skiers during the Ski Tour, how would that feel to you?
– It is clear that I have a great responsibility if it happens, and it may mean that we must affirm that it was a wrong decision.
Norway reacts to the decision
In Norway, there were immediate reactions to the Swedish decision.
– We probably assess the matter a little differently, Norwegian feature film director Espen Bjervig tells Norwegian TV2.
When asked if Bjervig is still sure that Norway has made the right decision, the Norwegian length director replies:
– You can never feel completely safe, but I think it was the right decision in the situation we were in then. The future can determine which was the correct decision.
Petter S Skinstad is a ski expert on TV2, at SportExpressen Skinstad says he has respect for Norway’s decision to give up the Ski Tour.
– At the same time, it is gratifying that Sweden has decided to participate, both for Sweden and for the entire world of cross-country skiing. I would also be very surprised if Finland didn’t make the same decision as Sweden, says Skinstad.
According to Skinstad, there are guaranteed to be several Norwegian skiers who are now jealous of their Swedish colleagues.
– I know there are a lot of Norwegian skiers I know there are a lot of Norwegian skiers who want to go to Tour de ski, that feeling is probably getting stronger now that Sweden has decided to go, says Skinstad.
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