Anders Soedergren (SWE) is considered one of the best 50 K racers in the world, and has a first place from the venerable Holmenkollen 50 K on his resume.
However, the Swede won’t have a chance to put his capacity to work on that distance in the upcoming World Cup season. The FIS Congress in Turkey nailed a World Cup schedule with no 50 K events for 2010-2011.
The lack of a World Cup 50 K race has Soedergren frustrated. “XC skiing is well on its way to lose its identity and its character,” Soedergren said to zsport.se.
The 50K during the 2011 World Championships in Holmenkollen will be the only race of that distance this season, and that event is a mass start, which typically have held no advantages for a skier like Soedergren. “There was an opportunity to make the World Championship 50 K an individual start race, but Norway vetoed the suggestion. They have Northug,” Soedergren said to the Swedish national TV station SVT.
Soedergren is not afraid to speak his mind on what he thinks of the recent evolution of FIS-governed XC skiing. “I don’t mind changes, but not all of the changes have been for the better,” he concludes.
From www.langrenn.com, June 22, 2010.
Inge Scheve
Inge is FasterSkier's international reporter, born and bred in Norway. A cross-country ski racer and mountain runner, she also dabbles on two wheels in the offseason. If it's steep and long, she loves it. Follow her on Twitter: @IngeScheve.
