Cross-country skiers slam icy Ruka conditions: “It was about not dying”

Norwegian athletes voiced sharp criticism of the treacherous conditions at the Ruka World Cup after a brutally icy 20 km race.

Jan Thomas Jenssen finished with a bloody nose after being struck by a pole during the second lap. “I thought it was fine, and then I saw my gloves full of blood,” he told NRK. He said the pole came from France’s Hugo Lapalus while passing, adding that his glasses likely protected his eyes. Jenssen, who had won and placed second in Ruka in prior years, placed 12th.

Many Norwegians struggled. Iver Tildheim Andersen, a multiple World Cup winner, faded to 50th. “I immediately realized it was about not dying … or injuring the body,” he said, calling the day hopeless from his perspective. Mattis Stenshagen, seventh, said he had never experienced tougher conditions, describing the course as icy throughout.

Jenssen agreed it was scary on the downhills and generally slick, and said he had no chance because his skis were too slippery. Still, he felt it was right to hold the race and that conditions were not life‑threatening. Einar Hedegart, second place, also felt the field should cope: “We ski so much that if someone feared dying today, they need more coordination training. It was difficult in sections, with little grip in some turns, but we must handle all types of conditions.”

Harald Østberg Amundsen managed the conditions best and won, with Einar Hedegart second and Sweden’s Edvin Anger third. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, chasing his 100th World Cup win, finished 15th and offered terse post‑race comments: “I tried, but it was crap … Everything. It didn’t work. I just want to go home.” NRK commentator Jann Post said he had never seen Klæbo weaker in a mass start’s decisive phase.

The debate over whether the race should have gone ahead highlighted diverging standards for safety and adaptability in elite cross‑country skiing, especially on fast, icy tracks like Ruka’s.