Norwegian Ski Jumpers Criticize ‘Life-Threatening’ Competition: ‘Utterly Unnecessary’

Kristoffer Eriksen Sundal stated a strong criticism regarding the ski jumping event that took place in Ruka this Saturday. Calling it life-threatening, he managed to secure a fourth place finish in the World Cup event. After the qualification round, which was postponed due to strong winds on Friday, both veteran jumper Robert Johansson and the 23-year-old Sundal voiced their concerns about the safety of the event organizers. Sundal revealed his thoughts to NTB post-qualification mentioning, ‘This is hopeless; why do we do this? It is life-threatening.’ Having performed well in the previous World Cup opening in Lillehammer the last weekend, this has raised alarming sentiments about safety standards in ski jumping. Johansson, despite his extensive experience in the sport, expressed similar frustrations by highlighting that the chaotic winds experienced were unprecedented and alarming. Overall, the concerns among the athletes spotlights the pressing issues surrounding safety in ski jumping competitions.