Cross-country: Tønseth criticizes Norway team bosses for not following their own selection criteria

Norwegian cross-country skier Didrik Tønseth has launched strong criticism at the national team leadership and the Ski Federation’s cross-country committee, claiming they do not consistently follow the selection criteria set out in the “Season Information – Cross-Country” document.

Tønseth, omitted from the Tour de Ski squad, says his frustration goes beyond that single decision and concerns how criteria are created and then interpreted or ignored. Ahead of the season, he coordinated with representatives from 12 regional ski districts and submitted five proposals for clearer selection rules. Only one, clarifying how Olympic selection criteria should be weighted, was adopted.

He argues that those new Olympic guidelines were already broken during the first round of Olympic nominations. As an example, he points to Karoline Simpson‑Larsen, who won a World Cup race over an Olympic distance this season but was not selected, while others without comparable wins were included. He also cites the Ruka World Cup classic 10 km: when Simen Hegstad Krüger withdrew due to illness, Edvard Sandvik was named reserve ahead of Emil Iversen, despite Iversen beating Sandvik in the key Beitostølen selection race. According to Iversen, the explanation given referenced Sandvik’s age and development potential—criteria Tønseth notes were removed from this year’s season information.

Asked by NRK, national team head Per Elias Kalfoss responded in writing on behalf of the federation, saying selections are made by coaches based on an overall assessment aimed at keeping Norway the world’s best cross‑country nation. He emphasized that discussions with athletes occur directly and that the cross‑country committee formally approves nominations and has delegated day‑to‑day selection responsibility to the managing director and head coach. Kalfoss also described the season‑information process as open and thorough, with proposals discussed before the committee approved the final version.

Tønseth maintains that, while some discretion is acceptable, result lists from relevant selection races must be the primary basis. He contends that the early‑season priority given to named A‑team athletes has ended and wants transparent, consistently applied rules for the remainder of the season so athletes know what to expect.