Holmenkollen Organizers Still Owe Prize Money To Karlsson, Bolshunov & Co

Holmenkollen Organizers Still Owe Prize Money To Karlsson, Bolshunov & Co

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The organizers of Holmenkollen Ski Festival are yet to send the latest winners of the storied race the checks they are entitled to. Last month Holmenkollen 30/50k produced some of the most exciting races of the last season with Frida Karlsson and Alexander Bolshunov beating the host nation stars in front of the traditional massive crowds. There was just one problem with that " crowds" definition: those were non-paying citizens exercising their free-access rights alongside the tracks in the forest. The terraces of the large Holmenkollen stadium remained empty on early coronavirus fears - likely rightly so from what we now know about how the disease spread. For the organizers, however, it was a nightmare: having to bear all the costs associated with holding a FIS World Cup event with…
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This Is How Much Norway Spends On Its National Team

This Is How Much Norway Spends On Its National Team

Money & Finance, Newsfeed
It would be more correct to say "was". In interview with Aftenposten the figure was made public: In 2019 the country's national team including Paralympic , junior and , of course, main cross country squad cost some NOK 92 million - or around 9.3 million euros using then-exchange rate. Now the Norwegian dominance in Seefeld-2019 and in the World Cup has an actual price tag. Cross-country ski managers coaches and athletes in other countries would chuckle, wistfully - it's far above other teams' budgets. This year, however, it would go down by at least 20% - that's already known & budgeted-in loss of sponsorships so far...
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Crisis Hits Norges Skiforbund

Crisis Hits Norges Skiforbund

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The Norwegian Ski Federation is in full-blown financial crisis. The Skiforbund has lost its funding to the tune of NOK 50 million (about 4.3 million euros at the current exchange rate) for this budget year . Two thirds of personnel will be made redundant or moved to part-time employment arrangements as of March 30th. The Dailyskier has learned that all Norwegian national cross country skiing team' camps are formally cancelled all the way till autumn, the skiers are told to make their own arrangements until then. We have little doubt that Johaug, Klaebo and a few other leading athletes would be able to pay for the camps they deem necessary out of pocket, but at the end of March nobody would dare to predict when skiers' favorite spots in the…
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FIS Congress Postponed, Kasper To Continue As President

FIS Congress Postponed, Kasper To Continue As President

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The International Ski Federation has formally announced on Friday that its Congress in Pattaya, Thailand, scheduled for May, is no longer happening. A new date and location for the Congress to convene is yet to be announced. Gian Franco Kasper,76, will continue serving as the FIS president until the Congress elects his replacement. Whenever the new Congress shall convene, they will have a massive new additional subject to discuss: what to do about diminished sponsorship income after the pandemic.
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Top Swedish Skiers Hold Impromptu Races

Top Swedish Skiers Hold Impromptu Races

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Ebba Andersson, Linn Svahn plus friends & associates, 56 people in all, held in impromptu race on Östersund on Friday, the local Östersunds Posten reports. And there was nothing illegal with that. It's difficult for the most Europeans and a large portion of the North Americans to imagine , but Sweden is not on a lockdown, not yet at least: restaurants are open and so are ski resorts ,for instance. Only very large gatherings are banned, and, since March 12 , that includes organized ski races. Nobody said a word about " non-organized" ones, however. Ebba Andersson won that one - as you probably figured out.
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