Cross-country Ski Team Stuck in Ice for Hours: "Grateful to Stand Here"

The Norwegian cross-country skiing team was stuck for hours: "I'm grateful I'm standing here" – NRK Sport – Sports news, results, and broadcasting schedule

The slippery roads caused Therese Johaug and teammates to spend 11 hours traveling from Ruka to Rovaniemi. 36-year-old Johaug is thankful to have arrived safely.

– I’m glad I made it safely. I was scared. I’m really glad to stand here and not be lying in a ditch in the Finnish woods, Johaug told NRK.

Parts of the Norwegian cross-country ski team found themselves in a bus drama late on Monday night. The icy roads made their journey from Ruka to Rovaniemi take significantly longer. In comparison, NRK's team made the trip in three hours after departing from Ruka two hours earlier than the ski team.

– I’ve never experienced anything like this. It was completely insane. Several centimeters of polished ice everywhere, Johaug recounted.

The slippery roads are also a top news item for Finnish broadcaster Yle, reporting closed roads and trailers that have gone off into the ditch.

It was a nightmare, said driver Eija, explaining that in the last two hours of their trip, they had barely moved five kilometers.

– I have driven these roads in Lapland for 30 years, but I’ve never encountered this kind of weather, Eija told Yle.

Yle has reported numerous traffic accidents since Sunday evening, though no injuries have been reported.

Johaug noted that despite the dramatic situation on the bus, the atmosphere remained calm and pleasant.

– We had a skilled and calm driver who didn’t panic us. If anyone on the bus was panicking, it was me, said Johaug.

Bussjåføren was praised by Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget: – The atmosphere was good. The athletes had competed in races, and the wax technicians had worked extremely hard, so it was calm, and people managed to get some rest. Everything went very smoothly, Nyenget told NRK.

National coach Sjur Ole Svarstad said that it’s nice to finally be there.

– As long as we were standing still, it was fine. And we stood still for hours. It wasn’t possible to drive under those conditions, Svarstad told NRK.

Photo by Anders Skjerdingstad

This was the first time the Norwegian team encountered such severe conditions during their travels this season, reminding everyone of the unpredictable nature of winter sports and the importance of safety precautions within the team.