While the women’s team selection is completed, the men’s team will be supplemented by two additional sprinter following the World Cup sprint in Rybinsk (RUS) this weekend.
The skiers fighting for the last two sprint spots are Anders Gløersen, Johan Kjølstad, Øystein Pettersen and John Kristian Dahl.
“The selection is mostly based on the World Cup results this season, but we also considered results from the Norwegian nationals, which took place in Steinkjer last weekend. Performances there resulted in some minor adjustments,” national team director Åge Skinstad said.
Skinstad pointed out that these races helped create a good idea of what the Norwegian national team at the 2011 Worlds would look like. He said that Petter Eliassen was named as an alternate with the 50K in mind. Eliassen was tenth in the 50K during the pre-worlds in Holmenkollen last winter. Petter Northug was preselected for the sprints last week. Some of the special teams will also be announced after the races in Seiser Alm, February 9.
Women’s team:
Marit Bjørgen, Rognes IL
Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen, IL Heming
Therese Johaug, IL Nansen
Marthe Kristoffersen, IL Varden
Kristin Størmer Steira, IL Forsøk
Vibeke Skofterud, Slitu IF
Celine Brun-Lie, Njård
Maiken C. Falla, Gjerdrum IF
Men’s team:
Eirik Brandsdal, Kjelsås IL
Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Fossum IF
Eldar Rønning, Skogn IL
Martin Johnsrud Sundby Røa IL
Sjur Røthe, Voss IL
Emil Hegle Svendsen, Strindheim IL
Ola Vigen Hattestad, Ørje IL
Petter Northug, Strindheim IL
Alternate: Petter Eliassen, Byåsen IL
From Langrenn.com, January 31, 2011. Translation by Inge Scheve
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.
One comment
Lars
February 1, 2011 at 9:54 pm
I think FIS is wrong to limit the amount of total athletes each country is allowed to bring to the championship, it penalizes nations that are competitive in all the Nordic sports. And you end up in a situation were the best athletes in each competition won`t get to come as the team are dependent on brining athletes that can do multiple distances and not only specialties in one.
Now this is less of a problem this year for Norway due to the lack of talent on the mens distance team, i mean a person like Sjur Røthe is hardly more then a glorified tourist. But in the past this have been a problem and kept some specialist from participating. And even this year i think the team would have looked different if there was more flexibility. For example i doubt Northug would have preselected for the sprints if there was rom for another specialist sprinter.