When the Norwegians, Finns and Swedes actively participated in the anti-Russian campaign, this was seen as a selfish interest. Without our skiers, these teams could win all international competitions.

However, the closer the start of the season, the more doubts the prospects of these three teams cause. They suffered some unexpected setbacks last weekend and are now looking for a way to explain the defeat.

The Scandinavians allude to dishonest fighting and machinations on the part of the winners.

German car

Despite snow problems in most of the major European sports centers, in the small Finnish town of Muonio, everything is ready to organize skiing competitions. In Lapland at this time of the year there is a hard frost, so that the traditional races, anticipating the start of the World Cup in Kontiolahti, took place without force majeure.

The program included three disciplines: the classic sprint, the classic 10 km cut-off, and the freestyle race (10 km for women, 15 km for men). And, most importantly, almost the strongest squads were presented by the Finns and Norwegians, leaving behind only those who are now in the hospital. Klebo, by the way, is still recovering and complains that he cannot work at full capacity. He missed the races in Muonio, as he will miss, most likely, the first stages of the World Cup.

After the sprint victory of the Norwegians Even Nortug and Anna Svendsen on the first day, it seemed to many that the next races would turn into the Norwegian championship. However, further “Vikings” managed to win only one victory. In other races, the first line invariably went to the representatives of Germany.

Friedrich Moch and Viktoria Karl overtook everyone by 15 and 10 km in the skating style, and Katarina Hennig won the “cutting” in the classic move. Hennig and Karl surprised at the Olympics by beating the Swedes in the team sprint, but in Muonio they conquered distance races, where the Finns are traditionally strong. But Kerttu Niskanen and Krista Parmakoski are now behind the Germans.

Katarina Hennig / Photo: © Frank Hoermann / SVEN SIMON / Global Look Press

To the surprise of local fans, Ivo Niskanen could not impose a fight on his crown distance, losing the entire pedestal of the classic “cutting” of Norway led by Simen Kruger.

Suspicious Results

Three wins in six starts is a brilliant result. Especially considering that in Germany the conditions for training skiers are still not ideal: you can fully “roll in” on the snow only in some southern regions of the country.

To Finnish experts, such agility of the Germans seemed suspicious, so the Scandinavians again raised the age-old question – the use of fluorine-containing ointments. They make glide better, which allows you to cover the distance faster. But for the environment, fluorine is evil. Therefore, the FIS officially banned them, but it is impossible to check the servicemen, since there are no accurate instruments. Everyone has to take each other’s word for it.

In Muonio, a five-kilometer circle is considered by local experts to be ideal for fluoride ointments. First you need to go three “working” kilometers, and the last two are a quick descent: ideal for accelerating and rolling to the finish line. Whoever has the ointment faster, he wins.

The Finnish expert and longtime coach of the national team Reijo Yulhä argues something like this, ironically alluding to the performance of Germany:

– With fluoride ointment, the situation is difficult. It’s a bit like doping – some use it and some don’t. Ointment C8 (fluorine-containing ski lubricant – author’s note) is no longer being produced, so at some point it will run out. It would be justified to reserve it for the most important competitions.

In other words, the Scandinavians still admit the idea that the service team of the German national team is engaged in fraud. Even at the Olympic Games last spring, there was a lot of criticism of the German service. All because of their victory in the team sprint and the same sensational silver in the women’s classic relay. Both times, Sweden, Finland and Norway were out of work.

Maya Dahlqvist and Jonna Sundling, Katarina Hennig and Victoria Karl, Julia Stupak and Natalia Nepryaeva / Photo: © RIA Novosti / Pavel Bednyakov

At the same time, the Finns themselves admit that they save their best ointments for the World Cup. I wonder what means are we talking about – is it really about the “ban”?

– In Finland, they never thought to use the fastest skis in such races. We’re doing a good job, but at least we’re not using the most expensive ointments we’re trying to save for bigger competitions this winter,” Yulhä says.

Objectively speaking, it is completely incomprehensible why the Scandinavians are trying to justify themselves for defeats at nothing decisive competitions. And in such a situation, to express unsubstantiated suspicions against your rivals in such a situation is all the more strange. Very soon it will be possible to prove everything in deeds, and not in words – at the first stage of the World Cup.