A Norwegian recipe for Sweden's men
When the Swedish Ski Association unveiled Egil Kristiansen as its new men's national team coach in May, the appointment carried real symbolism. The Norwegian coached Norway's women's cross-country team from 2006 to 2016 and then spent ten years in charge of Norway's biathlon men. Working alongside Lars Ljung, he is tasked with preparing Sweden's A team and Team Bauhaus for the home World Championships in Falun in 2027 and the 2030 Winter Olympics in France.
Kristiansen brought more than experience across the border. He also brought a training philosophy that is now causing debate. As Norwegian outlet langrenn.com reports, the coach has introduced a method built around very high carbohydrate intake during sessions, designed to keep athletes performing through long workouts without fading. The approach comes from Norwegian cycling, where it has been central to training for two to three years.
More energy, but worries about teeth
The athletes can feel the difference. Gustaf Berglund says he feels livelier. Veteran Calle Halfvarsson, 37, goes further, saying it feels as though he could ski for five hours.
The cost, however, is something rarely discussed in elite sport: dental health. The method leans heavily on sports drinks that are high in sugar and acid, topped up with sweets during long sessions, and that is what has the skiers worried.
Anton Grahn, 21, admitted his dentist was far from impressed. Berglund said his dentist had complained about how many sports drinks he was consuming. Halfvarsson was the bluntest of all: "This isn't healthy. I don't dare go to the dentist now."
Cross-CountryVisa wall before Ruka: Finland moves to shut out Russian skiersA familiar problem in endurance sport
The criticism touches a sore point. Large amounts of carbohydrate during exercise are now widely seen as a performance factor in endurance sport, particularly in long sessions. The downside is that teeth are exposed to sugar and acid over and over when drinks and gels are taken in small amounts for hours at a time. For cross-country skiers, who log many multi-hour sessions through summer and autumn, the effect adds up over months.
For Kristiansen, the debate is an early test. He has been brought in to rebuild a men's team that has trailed well behind its Norwegian rivals; Swedish broadcaster SVT framed his appointment in spring as a response to a "fiasco season". The fact that the athletes report more energy speaks for the method. The fact that several of them are complaining publicly about their teeth suggests the concept has not yet fully won over the Swedish camp.
The World Cup will be the judge
Whether the Norwegian recipe pays off will soon be measured on snow. The cross-country World Cup opens in Ruka, Finland, on November 27-29, and the season builds towards the home World Championships in Falun in 2027, the big target Kristiansen and Ljung have set for the team.
