IOC recommends ignoring testosterone levels in female athletes. It is relevant- xcskiers often have very high ones

IOC recommends ignoring testosterone levels in female athletes. It is relevant- xcskiers often have very high ones

Leaders, Newsfeed
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has issued a new framework policy regarding allowing transgender athletes to compete. With that the IOC is basically saying goodbye to its old policy, that said transgender athletes would be allowed to compete only provided their testosterone levels were below a certain limit for at least 12 months before their first competition. It's a big move. The World Athletics, for instance, now has a set of rules for female athletes requiring them to have levels of testosterone in their blood under 5 nanomoles per liter of blood (5 nmol/L) - or lower it by taking medications. As of today it applies only on 400m to 1 mile - nonetheless, it's a harsh barrier and does have a relation to skiing: World's best female xcskiers routinely…
Read More
Natalia Nepryaeva & complete zen

Natalia Nepryaeva & complete zen

Newsfeed
In the last few weeks no top skier's name was mentioned more often in the media than that of the leader of Team Russia Natalia Nepryaeva. It all started with her long-time coach Yuri Borodavko mentioning in interview with the Russian media that Natalia needs to lose some weight. Top Scandinavian newspapers immediately reacted that no Norwegian or Swedish coach would say anything of a kind in 2021. Then young but feisty Veronika Stepanova from Team Russia got involved in discussion essentially telling the aforementioned papers to mind their own business - which caused a new round of discussions, naturally. Throughout all this one person didn't offer an opinion: Natalia herself. Remarkable zen for our day and age. This is Ms. Nepryaeva during her final preps in Finland on Thursday-…
Read More
Power of television: world’s best will go to Lygna

Power of television: world’s best will go to Lygna

Newsfeed
"....There were two good candidates in Toblach and Lygna that are both very experienced organizers. The agreement with NRK to produce the championship was what decided that it would be Lygna in Norway." That's Erik Røste, President of the Norwegian Ski Federation - quoted by the very same NRK We reported in October on Lygna and Toblach being two candidates to replace Zakopane as a host of the Junior World Ski Championships-2022. And added that the power of NRK, Norwegian public television, might be a decisive factor. NRK has experience, equipment and loyal ski-crazy audiences . What it does not have is enough money to buy media rights for top events - both the Olympics 2022 and the FIS World Cup 21/22 the Norwegian fans would have to watch elsewhere.…
Read More
Bolshunov will need at least 10 days to fully recover due to dental problems

Bolshunov will need at least 10 days to fully recover due to dental problems

Leaders, Newsfeed
Alex Bolshunov didn't have a good training camp in Ramsau. We at Dailyskier.com adhere to a policy of not reporting on skiers' health issues that we learned of until/ unless their teams decide to make them public. On Saturday Bolshunov's coach Yuri Borodavko did just that: the World Cup winner couldn't train properly due to pain and fever caused by a dental cyst or an inflammation of tissue in the gum. Bolshunov flew from Austria to Moscow where he was operated on Friday. On the photo above you see Bolshunov, his wife Anna and coaches Borodavko and Artyom Zhmurko discussing options while still in Ramsau Team Russia head physician Roman Erlikhman told TASS news agency that surgery went well and Bolshunov's participation in the first World Cup stage in Ruka…
Read More
Vyalbe reacts to news Bjørgen was suspected in doping

Vyalbe reacts to news Bjørgen was suspected in doping

Newsfeed
"I'm in a bit of a shock from the news. I always considered and shall continue to consider her a great athlete but I do have serious questions to people who decide what constitutes doping, under what conditions and what punishment should be meted out." Thus reacted Yelena Vyalbe, the boss of the Russian ski association and, arguably, the most powerful woman in modern skiing. Vyalbe is a single female in all-powerful FIS Council (although she insists media should not dwell on that ). Marit and Yelena are on visibly good terms - judging by their mutually warm greetings on sidelines of FIS races - thanks to or, perhaps, despite the fact that Bjørgen has taken the title of " of the most decorated female skier ever" from Vyalbe. In…
Read More