Klæbo did as the Swedes: 'Life-threatening'

NTB was present at Granåsen on Tuesday morning and witnessed extremely difficult conditions on the track. The snow was icy and hard, making the terrain dangerous. Swedish cross-country skiers, after arriving to test the skis at ten o’clock, decided to move their training to the indoor facilities at Skistua in Bymarka. In contrast, the Norwegian team chose to postpone their training session, although Johannes Høsflot Klæbo ventured into the forest for a training session.

Slope manager Daniel Myrmæl Helgestad commented that although the conditions were very icy and a bit unpleasant downhill, it was still possible to ski and that such conditions were as expected when the wet snow freezes in the sun. Smearing chief Tord Hegdahl was also optimistic, noting that the previous day had been excellent and speculated that the conditions might improve soon.

NRK expert Fredrik Aukland, however, was critical of the decision to ski under these conditions, describing them as dangerous and ‘life-threatening’. He suggested that perhaps officials should have communicated the risks to the nations to prevent unnecessary exposure. Swedish skier Edvin Anger was quoted by Aftonbladet as saying the situation was “life-threatening”. The first competitions on the cross-country track were scheduled to start on Wednesday with qualifying for the 10 kilometer classical race, followed by sprint qualifying and later, a combined event on Thursday.