Olympics 2026: Norway penalised for illegal ski testing after relay gold

Norway could celebrate relay gold on Sunday. Afterwards they received a reprimand.

FIS wrote in an update Sunday afternoon that Norway has been penalised after a person from the Norwegian support staff entered the stadium after the course had been closed.

“Juryen hadde et møte med Norge, som beklaget for feilen,” FIS wrote, adding that the sanction is that Norway will have one fewer course vest until after the team sprint on Wednesday.

That means one fewer person from the support team may go into the course to, among other things, test skis.

Finnish skier Iivo Niskanen told Finnish Iltalehti earlier Sunday that he had reacted to reports that Norway was allegedly inside a closed area and doing ski testing.

In a press release the Norwegian Ski Federation says national team leader Per Elias Kalfoss apologised on behalf of the federation.

They explain that one of Norway’s wax technicians made a mistake.

“The wax technician misunderstood the time when the course would be closed, and stayed for 8–10 minutes in the classic track after it had been closed, while the skate track was still open. The technician himself realised the mistake and immediately contacted the FIS jury to apologise,” they write.

“— We have been orally informed by the jury that one course vest will be withdrawn as a sanction. We have accepted this,” the federation says.

“Directly embarrassing”

NRK’s cross‑country expert Fredrik Aukland says illegal ski testing was a topic at the team captains’ meeting before Sunday’s relay. There it was claimed that several nations had tested illegally before the women’s relay on Saturday, without sanctions being imposed at that time.

“It was the Austrians who most clearly said that ski testing had to be controlled more carefully, and that rule violations must have consequences,” Aukland says.

He is therefore surprised that Norway has now been punished.

“Let me first say that I do not know the details of what happened today. But there is a very clear set of rules that is easy to follow. It is directly embarrassing that Norway cannot follow it the day after it was raised at the team captains’ meeting. This should be possible to avoid,” Aukland says.

Although it is not a serious breach, NRK sports commentator Jan Petter Saltvedt reacts:

“This is so obviously unnecessary from Norway. Why let this become the discussion in the aftermath of a relay Norway would have won anyway?” he asks rhetorically, continuing: “It is simply provocative, especially when there have already been protests about the Norwegian wax technicians’ behaviour during the Olympics.”

Earlier protest from Finland

Finland lodged a protest against Norway and the USA earlier in the Olympics after the sprint, but it was rejected by FIS. Norway had then been allowed to use a specific grip/glue roller by FIS.

“Our primary goal is to ensure that everyone has a fair chance to compete. That is what we want FIS to evaluate,” Marleena Valtasola, secretary‑general of the Finnish Ski Association, told NRK on Saturday about the protest.

“We were allowed to do it by FIS. And followed the guidelines we have, and asked about what we should do. I cannot see that we have broken any rules,” Norway’s national team leader Per Elias Kalfoss said then.

The relay itself on Sunday was a Norwegian parade, with Norway winning ahead of France and Italy. With the gold, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo also became the most successful winter Olympian of all time.

Sweden finished last in the relay after a waxing failure.

Note: In the relay Iivo Niskanen received a yellow card for lacking classical technique. He therefore carries one yellow card into the 50 km on Saturday.

Published 15 Feb at 16:12. Updated 15 Feb at 17:06.