Upcoming Olympic Tracks Shocked Widely, These Videos Tell Everything – Skiing Chief Admitted Only One Problem

During the concluding weekend of the Tour de Ski in Val di Fiemme, there has been considerable uproar regarding the tracks used for next year’s Olympics. The sprint course faced widespread criticism on Friday, with concerns raised over the design which allowed slower athletes to slip by in the downhill runs.

Experts, athletes, and coaches described the situation as "sad to watch," with some labeling the course as the worst in history, absurd, and unfitting for the Olympics.

On Saturday, criticism was directed at the 3.3-kilometer loop used for the combined events. Yle's skiing expert Ville Nousiainen deemed the course too easy for the men, while international skiing stars voiced their safety concerns regarding the track.

Therese Johaug expressed her shock upon witnessing the favorite for the men’s combined race, Simen Hegstad Krüger, crash during the event. Krüger acknowledged that it was his own mistake, as he experienced cramps in his stomach and had trouble breathing, complicating his skiing.

Additionally, Andreas Fjoren Ree also fell during the combined competition.

Stars Shocked by the Dangers

Swedish skier Ebba Andersson admitted that she had never skied so cautiously in her life and demanded in Aftonbladet a new solution for the high-speed descent, which she criticized as abysmal. Linn Svahn portrayed the Olympic tracks as a parody.

Moa Ilar expressed feeling like an amateur and insisted that the organizers needed to act for next year’s Olympics.

Johaug sided with this sentiment in an interview with NRK, stating that the organizers should consider potential changes.

"It was a really fast and demanding course today. After watching several men fall, we female viewers thought, 'Damn!" Johaug articulated.

She reminded that if the men were descending dangerously, so too were the women.

Krista Pärmäkoski, one of Finland’s stars, fired strong criticism to Ilta-Sanomat.

"It was quite terrible because we skied uphill at high speeds, but the downhills were skied with backs upright. I don’t believe that’s appropriate for the Olympics when even the most skilled men were skiing downhill upright. The courses need change," Pärmäkoski demanded.

The Organizer’s Response to the Critique

The Saturday's combined competitions were peculiar in that both skiing techniques utilized the same 3.3 km loop.

The coach from Finland, Ville Oksanen, had previously expressed his concerns to Yle before the race regarding potential breakages of poles or skis, as this setup created cramped conditions. Oksanen also voiced his worry beforehand about the same turn that the international stars criticized.

"The pace is really high and the turn pretty tight; if something were to go wrong there, it could result in a messy situation," Oksanen remarked to Yle.

Ville Nousiainen and Jasmi Joensuu showcased the controversial turn – there was no distress from the Finnish star's perspective.

Kimmo Porttila had also a tough time going through Krüger's falling point.

Kerttu Niskanen also did not paint a rosy picture of the route in an interview with Yle before the combined race, referring to it as a rally course. Her male coach complained during Viaplay's broadcast about the combined race.

"It looks silly that you stop skiing on the hill and just let it roll down;" Juho Mikkonen, who serves as a skiing expert on Viaplay, stated.

"A course like that simply doesn’t work in major competitions."

According to Yle's skiing expert Ville Nousiainen, the course skied on Saturday would function well in time trial races, yet nowadays there is only one time trial in major competitions. In his view, the course for mass start races on Saturday posed significant challenges to ski on.

"The competitions become quite similar in such cases," Nousiainen described.

According to the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, only one of the upcoming Olympic normal distance tracks was open due to landowners denying the Val di Fiemme event organizers permission to use the land the traditional track should traverse.

International Ski Federation (FIS) Nordic skiing competition chief Michal Lamplot stated to Aftonbladet that the authorities’ decision hindered the organizers' and FIS's plans to utilize the course. They could not do anything about it, according to Lamplot.

The Chief Responded to the Criticism

When Yle Urheilu met with Lamplot on Sunday at the legendary Alpe Cermis finale climb, they returned to the problems from Friday and Saturday.

According to Lamplot, they have collected and received feedback from both coaches and athletes.

"Everyone has an opinion. That’s good. We’re pleased to get comments. It shows how crucial this Olympic test event is," Lamplot began his explanation.

FIS chief Lamplot responded to criticism regarding the tracks in Val di Fiemme. Image: Tomi Hänninen

According to Lamplot, "feedback always matters." Now discussions will take place regarding what adjustments can be made for next year. Finnish coach Ville Oksanen had wondered to Yle before the weekend about the current condition of the sprint route, which did not align with conversations held with FIS representatives a couple of years ago.

"The finishing stretch was meant to be longer. There was supposed to be a left turn on the last descent to take away the speed. The last bump would be navigated while skiing, but now we head downhill beyond the finish line, Oksanen mentioned.

According to Lamplot, especially the sprint competition can be adjusted.

"If the athletes are working hard, they should have better chances for good results or victory. However, we knew the endpoint arrangement. It has been this way, nearly forever in Fiemme. It’s a kind of trademark of Fiemme," Lamplot stated.

This was, in Aino-Kaisa Saarinen’s opinion, the most grotesque sight from the tour, with Sweden's Grate moving past others to advance on the controversial sprint course.

Lauri Vuorinen fell during his heat and criticized the race course severely.

Lamplot stated that the sprint route is being considered for a review and potential modifications. He did not want to disclose the exact solution but prefers to discuss with different parties first.

"There isn’t an easy solution to this," Lamplot underscored.

According to him, the track used on Saturday's combined event is not seen as a significant problem. He stated that it will only be used in the combined competition for the free technique segment moving forward.

There are no longer issues with landowners, according to FIS’s chief, stating that this was a problem only this year.

"There will be no issues in the Olympics. We will be able to utilize the entire route system. The problematic section was just one specific point on the path. It will be resolved after this winter," Lamplot emphasized.