Several racers double-poled the entire course in Friday’s classic sprint in Norway. The winners, Ella Gjmle and Jens Arne Svartedal want harder courses that forces diagonal stride.
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/oldsitearchive/upload/061112-124706-jas.jpg width=270 height=147 border=1><BR><font size=1 face=verdana></font></center><BR></p>
<p>The tough decision, ahead of Friday’s classic sprint race in the Norwegian opening week at Beitostolen, was whether to ski with kick-wax or without.</p>
<p>In the end, it was those with kick wax who succeeded in the finals. Both the men’s winner, Jens Arne Svartedal and the women’s winner, Ella Gjmle raced on skis with kick-wax and were able to stride up the main hill. Those who double-poled the whole way did not have enough strength left by the finals.</p>
<p>– The skiers with kick-wax had an advantage in today’s race, said sprint coach Ulf Morten Aune.</p>
<p>But Gjmle and Svartedal want to put an end to classic races where it’s possible to double-pole the entire course.<br />
Â<br />
– This is a kick to the course designers. We are developing as athletes and are constantly getting stronger, and the track designers need to work hard to build tougher courses, says Jens Arne Svartedal.</p>
<p>– I don’t want a course with only double-poling. I want courses that are dominated by diagonal striding, but with elements of double-poling, said Gjomle. </p>
<p>Øystein Pettersen double-poled all the heats, but wished in retrospect that he had done differently. </p>
<p>It’s easy to know afterwards what you should have done differently, but I should have waxed a little. It was very hard going up the main hill. That’s where I was caught and passed, said Pettersen who placed third. </p>
<p>– The track designers at Beitostolen did a good job with the terrain they have available, but I’m afraid of the development. FIS might decide to cut classic sprint from the agenda, and that’s not what we want, said sprint coach Aune.</p>
</div></div><!-- /btArticleContentInnerInner --><section class=)
![](https://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2020/09/FasterSkier-logo-sq-320x320.png)
FasterSkier
previous
US Ski Team Announces Athlete / Coach Surveys
next