The health crisis is not only digging gaping holes in the international sports calendar. It is now also tackling the participation of athletes in maintained events. As proof, the decision of the Norwegian Ski Federation to give up the two stages of the cross-country skiing World Cup organized in December. In question, the risks of contamination with COVID-19. “We have found that keeping distance and avoiding close contact on the World Cup circuit is more demanding than we imagined, she explained Tuesday December 1 in a press release. Endurance athletes use their lungs as a tool and we do not know the after-effects of Covid-19.” The Norwegian cross-country skiers will therefore skip the stages in Davos (Switzerland), on December 12 and 13, then Dresden (Germany), a week later. They were present last weekend in Ruka (Finland), for the opening of the season. But several of them expressed doubts about their health safety. Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (photo above), the world number 1, announced on Monday November 30 his withdrawal from the World Cup, at least until next year. “I don’t want to take a bigger risk than necessary, he explained on Norwegian television. I will now stay at home, train around my home and reduce my contacts as much as possible. » Sweden could soon follow Norway's example and withdraw, for the same reasons, from the next stages of the world circuit.
