(Note: This article has been updated to include comments from Vidar Løfshus, head of the Norwegian cross-country ski team, and the team’s former performance manager, Åge Skinstad.) The News in English.no. “We had many fun years together on the national team.” Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset, a former skier who competed until 2011 and became a national team coach, recalled her “infectious humor”. Erik Røste, president of the Norwegian Ski Federation since 2012, said she was “an important ambassador for...
On Friday, the FIS Cross Country Committee passed a new rule requiring that classic pole lengths not exceed 83 percent of an athlete's height. "The rule is intended to keep future athletes from double poling races (and micro-skating) with poles that are close to the head-height limit," explains U.S. head coach Chris Grover, chairman of the FIS Subcommittee for World & Continental Cups.
Last week, Norwegian national-team staple Kristin Størmer Steira announced her retirement following a dozen years on the World Cup. "I’ve experienced so much as a cross-country skier and I love ski racing, but the time has come to find a new track," she said in a press release. "And that won’t be a ski track."
This FasterSkier series will examine the growing challenge to the national team model by privately funded ski teams and independent sponsorship agreements. Will national teams be able to support themselves in the future, or will corporate teams take over cross country skiing? This first article in the series will look at Petter Northug’s record deal with Coop and the implications it has for the Norwegian National Team and the sport as a whole.
Norway’s government-run TV station NRK admits overstepping privacy boundaries in showing the images and sound track of Northug crying after the 30K pursuit at the 2011 Worlds in Holmenkollen.
Vidar Løfshus steps into his new role as the National Team Director for all the Norwegian national teams starting May 1.
The Norwegian Ski Association (NSF) is reorganizing, and as a result, national team director Åge Skinstad will change jobs and titles. He is now the cross country team director, an entirely new position in the organization.
The Swedes can bring up to 24 skiers to Oslo. Norway only has 18 spots for their own World Championships. Now, the Norwegians want to the change the rules and are preparing a proposition to the FIS.
First, retired star Thomas Alsgaard showed up at Norwegian national championships and placed third in the 15 k classic, leading commentators and fans alike to bemoan the state of the national team. Sure, Alsgaard is an amazing talent and is training fairly seriously for marathons, but should a man who has been retired for almost ten years be able to beat everyone except Martin Sundby Johnsrud and Eldar Roenning? Then the Norwegian team for World...
Only Eldar Rønning and Martin Johnsrud Sundby could beat Thomas Alsgaard in the 15K classic at the Norwegian national championships Thursday.
BEITOSTØLEN, Norway – “It’s really too bad there weren’t more girls here,” Therese Johaug told Langrenn.com after the 10 k classic FIS race in Beitostolen on Sunday. That race had 25 Norwegian females on the result lists, while Friday’s 10K skate race featured 23 Norwegian women, and 21 completed Saturday’s sprint. “There are definitely fewer girls here than previous years,” said Egil Kristiansen, head coach for the Norwegian national team women. “Disappointingly few girls here,” said...
To race at the World Championships at Holmenkollen on home turf in February is maybe one of the biggest moments in a Norwegian skier’s career. The Norwegian Ski Association just announced their criteria for naming athletes to that team.
FIS Cross-Country checks in with Norwegian national Team Coach Age Skinstad. FIS Cross-Country: How are you satisfied with training so far? Are you keeping your schedule? Åge Skinstad: We manage to keep the schedule we planned in spring. It is early to judge the whole training period but I am happy with the first part. We have done a good job so far. FIS Cross-Country: How is the situation in the team? Are all in...