Norway's skiers revolt over new World Cup selection rules: 'Chaos'

A month out from the World Cup opener in Ruka, Norway's cross-country camp is in uproar. The Norwegian Ski Federation's cross-country committee has rewritten the criteria for World Cup selection — and triggered a backlash from its own national-team skiers. "It is a complete crisis for me," Andreas Fjorden Ree told VG.

No automatic ticket to Ruka

Until now, Norway worked with a clear pecking order. Members of the national team were effectively pre-selected for the season opener in Finland on the strength of the previous winter. Skiers outside the squad could only fight for one or two open places through top results at the domestic season opener in Beitostølen.

That system is gone. Under the new guidelines, national-team members no longer enjoy any advantage in selections before Christmas. According to VG, decisions will be based on four criteria: results from the current season, results from last season, past championship performances and the athlete's sporting goals for the season. Current form is meant to weigh heaviest, but coaches keep room for discretion. The rules cover the World Cup opener and the period leading up to the Tour de Ski.

For a team as deep as Norway's, it is a significant shift. A skier who impresses in Beitostølen can now push established squad members out of the line-up. Conversely, a poor race at the domestic opener becomes a genuine risk even for seasoned World Cup athletes — not least because it remains unclear how much last season and championship success will count in individual cases.

"More discretion and more chaos"

The change hits hardest for skiers like Fjorden Ree, who built their autumn around the World Cup start. "The message comes late, when I've prepared all autumn to be in shape for the Ruka weekend and not the weekend in Beitostølen," the 26-year-old said. His verdict: "It just becomes more discretion and more chaos."

Harald Østberg Amundsen did not hold back either. To be honest, he said, the new guidelines make the criteria even less clear: "It becomes incredibly unclear."

For Emil Iversen, the main issue was communication. He said he had received the message "five minutes ago" when VG reached him. "It is strange to read this kind of thing in the media without them talking to us," the veteran said, before asking: "Should we be talking with each other or about each other?"

Committee promises talks

Committee chairman Håkon Slokvik had presented the changes at a meeting in Trøndelag the previous week — the athletes, it seems, only found out later. Faced with the fierce reaction, he struck a more conciliatory tone. "We must take this seriously. Now we will hold a prompt meeting with the athletes, listen to their views and ensure a good, substantive dialogue about how the criteria should be understood and practised," Slokvik said.

Whether the rules could be changed again, he would not say until after the talks with the skiers. Time is short: Beitostølen is the final test before the World Cup opener in Ruka at the end of November, and the athletes need to know now which weekend to peak for.