Cross-Country Skiing: Criticism of Athlete Skips in the World Cup – ‘Negative Impact’

Many of the leading cross-country skiers have repeatedly skipped individual World Cup events this season. In the latest competition at Cogne in Italy, for example, six of the seven top Swedish female skiers – as ranked in the overall World Cup – were absent, along with two of the three top overall athletes. Instead, athletes such as Frida Karlsson, Ebba Andersson, and William Poromaa have chosen to train for the upcoming World Championships.

Not only have Swedish stars been absent; even prominent Norwegian competitors like Therese Johaug and Johannes Hösflot Kläbo were missing from the event. This trend has drawn sharp criticism from several profiles within the sport. Finnish skier Jasmi Joensuu, who leads the women's sprint Cup, stated, "I wish that everyone would be here and compete against each other. That's the point of the World Cup – to have all the top athletes together."

Michal Lamplot, the cross-country skiing chief for FIS, expressed his disappointment by emphasizing that one of FIS’s goals is to have the very best athletes participate in every event. He noted that the frequent absences, not just in Cogne but in other competitions as well, have a negative impact on the overall quality and appeal of the World Cup.

There have been suggestions about creating a slightly lighter World Cup schedule. However, Lamplot dismissed the idea of adding another free weekend. He pointed out that there are already three free weekends scheduled before the World Championships, and further gaps are not advisable since January and February are peak winter months in Europe when fan interest in skiing is highest.