Shock Norwegian selection before the World Cup opener: only five jumpers named for Lillehammer

Norway has officially announced its line-up for the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup opening weekend in Lillehammer — and it is smaller than expected. Head coach Rune Velta has named only five athletes, meaning the host nation will not use its full national group quota for the inaugural competitions.

Among those selected are Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang, both of whom sat out the Summer Grand Prix due to suspensions imposed following the scandal at the World Championships. They are joined by Halvor Egner Granerud and Kristoffer Eriksen Sundal. The fifth and final place on the team remains open and will be assigned after Norway’s internal training sessions in Lillehammer this week.

The World Cup opener schedule in Lillehammer includes Friday training for both women and men followed by a mixed team competition. On Saturday and Sunday, fans will see individual contests for women and for men.

The decision not to field a full national group suggests depth concerns among lower-ranked Norwegian jumpers at this moment in the season. Poland had already announced its selections under coach Maciej Maciusiak earlier, while Velta’s lean Norwegian squad adds intrigue to the start of the campaign.