Is Krüger out of the whole team, or he is missing only the Skiathlon?
Krueger is not out of the team yet. He gave an interview with NRK (Norwegian television) that he still aim to be ready for the 50km by the end of the games. The Norwegian team has said they will take a decision the 2nd or 3rd of February about Krueger. It's by these dates they can at latest book a flight for a potential reserve and for that reserve to be ready for the Olympics. If they choose not to send a reserve, it's a question about if Krueger can be ready for the 50km with his limited opportunity to train while in quarantine, and of course needing to test negative by time.
The Norwegian team has announced that Anne Kjersti Kalvaa, that tested COVID positive a couple of days ago, will be replaced by Ragnhild Haga in the Norwegian Olympic team. Very unfortunate situation for Kalvaa.
The Norwegian team will announce soon, likely tomorrow, what will happen with Heidi Weng. The Norwegian female olympic team will fly to Beijing February 1st.
Johannes Klaebo has announced he will not compete in any WC races until the new year (Tour de Ski, January 1st). He has stated the reason for his decision lies in the fear of contracting Corona virus and the uncertainty of spreading it to others. When ask by Norwegian medias if he will be at start in Tour de Ski, Klaebo replied that he first had to see if Tour de Ski will happen this season and then he will consider his participation. Lastly Klaebo stated his goal and focus for the rest of season will be the World Championships in Oberstdorf in February next year.
Update on the Norwegian coach that was tested postive. A second test, control test, has come back negative, so he and the Norwegian team will be allowed to compete.
The Norwegian Ski Association and FIS have decided to postpone the Cross-Country, Nordic Combined and Ski Jumping World Cups planned from December 4-6 to later in the season due to the current COVID-19 prevention measures in Norway.
Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg will not compete this season. She and her medical staff have stated they are still concerned over her health issues when it comes to her overall energy intake which is still not sufficient to compete for a whole season. Her insufficient energy intake also raises concerns about her being more prone to injuries. She will focus on training this winter and put her focus towards Beijing 2022.
According to NRK, the Norwegian national men's team is going to be cut from 15 to 12 men for the upcoming season. The official announcement of the national team is expected to be announced this Tuesday.
As usual for Norway the national team will be split into two teams, All-around and Sprint.
All-around:
Emil Iversen
Didrik Toenseth
Sjur Roethe
Hans Christer Holund
Simen Hegstad Krueger
Martin Loewstroem Nyenget
Sprint:
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo
Sindre Bjoernestad Skar
Finn-Haagen Krogh
Paal Golberg
Erik Valnes
Haavard Solaas Taugboel
Nyenget and Taugboel will both be new on the national team. However, the top story in Norwegian media about the selection is more about a name that is missing from the list which is Martin Johnsrud Sundby. It had been speculated that Sundby would no longer be part of the national team for the upcmong season and today's news confirmed it.
NRK has made an interview with Sundby about his thoughts about his current situation:
The race director of FIS, Pierre Mignerey, is well in the planning of an alternative cross-country season. And there can be huge changes.
"In May, the cross-country committee will discuss this. The most optimistic is a reduced calendar. But we don't know until this summer what to do", Mignerey tells VG.
These are some of the scenarios the race manager is considering:
If travel regulations are such that people cannot move from their own country, the World Cup is impossible.
If there is quarantine travel regulation, we can move from country to country with some World Cup races.
It may be appropriate to separate men and women. A weekend with men and one with ladies. Or, for example, we can have men for two weeks in Norway, then two weeks with the ladies in Finland for not having too many in the same place at the same time. Everything is on the table.
Tour de Ski should start in the Christmas season, but is uncertain. It may be appropriate to have the entire tour in the same country so that we do not spread the virus.
If there is regulation with a maximum of 100 people allowed in the same place, then there will be no World Cup, but with regulation of 500 or 1000 people, it is possible with runners, support equipment, organizer and media.
Run without the audience. Some countries depend on the public as part of the funding, such as Norway. In other countries it is already free to see ski runs, such as La Clusaz (France), Davos (Switzerland) and Toblach (Italy) to name a few.
Due to the spreading of COVID-19, the Norwegian cross-country ski committee has decided that no Norwegian skiers will be send to the last World Cups in North America.
With that, I think Bolshunov has secured the Overall WC title.
And they need to bring back Classic Individual Start for the Holmenkollen 50k! Spectators would really need their tents & barbecues - even the ones watching on TV.
We will have 50km and 30km freestyle interval/individual next season, 2020/2021. I wish it was in classic technique, but I can live with it, as long as it is an interval race.
Oestberg and Karlsson with the same kind of thing in such a short period
Yeah, I'm not sure why we have two cases in such a short time and why they come now? The health requirements have been part of the elite programs for years in Norwegian and Swedish skiing and they have not been changed this year, so I do wonder why we suddenly see two top skiers who can't meet them?
I do fear Oestberg's situation is more serious than Karlsson's. Of course I don't have any concrete proofs of that. It's only my own personal interpretation from what I can read in the different medias about Oestberg's situation.
It was today announced that Frida Karlsson will not be allowed to compete in any competition because she has not met the health requirements set by the Swedish Ski Association. The national team doctor can't say when she will be ready to compete again. Karlsson is sad and disappointed about the situation, but she will do her best to come back soon, she says.
There was a press conference today in Norway. It was expected to be mainly about the team selection for this week's competitons in Beitostolen and next week's WC in Ruka.
However, Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg held a press conference on her own announcing she would not ski this week or the next.
- It so happens that I've ended up in a situation where I can't ski. It is very unfortunate that it has become so. Not all health requirements in the health certificate were met. This means that the best thing for me right now is to not ski. I have chosen to train a lot in the recent months. There is a risk of exercising too much and now my body needs time to recover, said Oestberg with a lump in her throat.
The Norwegian athletes must regularly undergo a health check before competitions and a health certificate will be completed together with the national team doctor. Among many things, the athletes must answer questions about diet and thoughts on dieting. They are also measured and weighed, as well as hemoglobin levels, blood pressure and heart rate are measured.
"... I haven't been good enough to take care of myself... I hope I can be back pretty quickly and get my body back on track", says Oestberg.
Oestberg was clearly emotionally affected during the press conference over her situation. At one point she began to cry. Oestberg repeatedly explained that she did not want to go into detail, since she considered it a little too private.
The coaches and national team doctor would not go into any more details other than Oestberg had not lived up to some of the health requirements and therefore wasn't fit to compete.
National team doctor, Oystein Andersen, said:
- As Ingvild says, It's due to health reasons. These skiers are followed very closely throughout the year and we first and foremost focus on the health of the athletes. It's our mantra.
Some journalist asked the coaches and national team doctor if her weight was a concern. They would not go into many details but said it could be an issue for some elite athlete to eat enough when they train a lot. However, all clearly stated that Oestberg did not have an eating disorder.
Only to the end of 2019, not the whole season. However, the Swedish camp says she will not start in Tour de Ski. They will not force anything, so maybe she will first be back in the end of January or February.
Ebba Anderson is likely out the rest of the year due to a knee injury. This was confirmed by the national team doctor, Magnus Oscarsson, today.
It was during a training run at the national team camp in Bruksvallarna that Andersson fell and hit the knee where she has previously sustained an injury.
It was reported yesterday that Sondre Turvoll Fossli had been hospitalized and today it was confirmed.
According to a press release from the Norwegian Ski Federation, Fossli suffered a cardiac arrest Monday morning. He quickly got life-saving first aid and was taken to Oslo University Hospital.
- Sondre is closely followed by cardiac specialists at the hospital and is doing well, says Ola Rønsen from the Ski Association who, according to the press release, has visited Fossli at the hospital.
- He is obviously very happy that he came from this with his life preserved. It is too early to say what consequences this could have for his skiing career, concludes Ola Rønsen.
According to VG.no, the 50km and 30km in Oslo will go back to a intervalstart in classic technique from 2021. This idea was proposed by the Russian delegation and approved by most nations on the FIS Cross-Country commitee meeting in Dubrovnik. It only needs to be approved by the FIS Council on Sunday (tomorrow).
Last time there was a 50km and 30km intervalstart in Oslo was back in 2009.
Sondre Turvoll Fossli had been hospitalized and today it was confirmed. 
Posted
Krueger is not out of the team yet. He gave an interview with NRK (Norwegian television) that he still aim to be ready for the 50km by the end of the games. The Norwegian team has said they will take a decision the 2nd or 3rd of February about Krueger. It's by these dates they can at latest book a flight for a potential reserve and for that reserve to be ready for the Olympics. If they choose not to send a reserve, it's a question about if Krueger can be ready for the 50km with his limited opportunity to train while in quarantine, and of course needing to test negative by time.
https://www.nrk.no/sport/sterkt-preget-valnes_-_-na-er-det-fritt-vilt-1.15831741
Link to post
Share on other sites