12Nov 2020 by DS News Team
Lillehammer World Cup Stage’ 2020 Cancelled After All

Lillehammer World Cup Stage’ 2020 Cancelled After All

Newsfeed
They've tried hard, valiantly. But at the end they had to give up. Late on Thursday the Norwegian Ski Association, a formal organizer of the Lillehammer FIS World Cup races, had to throw in a towel: not this crazy year, not with the current restrictions in place. The press release is talking about " postponing the event " but there are no gaps in schedule - unless someone else cancels, that is. It would appear that after the opener in Ruka, Finland the planet's best skiers will reconvene in Davos two weeks later, on December 12-13. Quite unprecedented gap in pre-Christmas competitions but the Year of COVID keeps on changing all the established notions.
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10Nov 2020 by DS News Team
Yelena Vyalbe: We Need Additional Half-a-million Euros Just For Corona-testing

Yelena Vyalbe: We Need Additional Half-a-million Euros Just For Corona-testing

Money & Finance, Newsfeed
Everyone is aware of the fact that the top-level cross-country skiing is not exactly awash in money and some national teams positively struggle to have ends meet even in the best of times. The Corona-crisis will make it worse. As in " half-a-million euros worse" in case of Team Russia, as per the boss of the Russian skiing. "We normally have some 60+ people travelling to the World Cup stages - that figure includes athletes plus coaches and all the support personnel. We did the math: newly introduced COVID-19 testing measures at every stage would set us down some 500 to 530 thousand euros this season.", the chairman of the Russian Ski Association told Dailyskier.com in recent conversation. No national xcski team makes its spending sheet publicly available (with a…
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04Nov 2020 by DS News Team
Alexander Legkov Talks Pre-race Sex

Alexander Legkov Talks Pre-race Sex

Newsfeed
Finally somebody in the know had to answer the question the good skiing folks really want to know the answer to. In interview with Sport Express newspaper Alexander Legkov was asked about how long elite skiers abstain from certain bed activities ahead of important race. Elite male skiers that is. "The notion is, guys have to stay away from sex for like 3 days ahead of competition. I broke that notion: did just that then went and won a World Cup stage the next day. Sure, if you spent half a night doing cavorting in bed the lack of sleep won't help. Otherwise pre-race sex is healthy and those who say otherwise don't know what they are talking about " Source: https://youtu.be/5cIhe5QbU6k
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30Oct 2020 by DS News Team
Natalia Nepryaeva: I Don’t Do Screaming, Shouting Or Public Breaking Of Poles

Natalia Nepryaeva: I Don’t Do Screaming, Shouting Or Public Breaking Of Poles

Leaders, Newsfeed
Natalia Nepryaeva doesn't really need introductions in 2020. But just to refresh you memory: the 3d overall in the World Cup 2019/20, arguably the most universal female skier of our times ( 4h in both Distance and Sprint ratings) and Russia's best hope for women's program at Oberstdorf-2021. We spoke in Ramsau , Russians' traditional October training camp - and their first on snow this season. The pandemics wreaked havoc with all of my spring plans. I was planning to do some downhill skiing with friends, to visit St. Petersburg - instead had to stay at parents’ countryside cabin, “ dacha”, in more or less full isolation - the only positive side was spending more time with the family! The summer training wasn’t too good either. Long, very long training…
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26Oct 2020 by DS News Team
Markus Cramer: It’s Time For Change At FIS , Especially Way It Handles International Competitions

Markus Cramer: It’s Time For Change At FIS , Especially Way It Handles International Competitions

Leaders, Newsfeed
...Markus Cramer never looses his cool, affable manner but neither is he ever been known for mincing his words. The coach who played such a decisive role in careers of Dario Cologna and Sergei Ustiugov can afford to be blunt. This time Mr.Cramer sounds frustrated and borderline angry about the upcoming season: - FIS has decided to go ahead with the World Cup season, with most of what was planned before remained on the schedule - but, of course, nobody could tell with any certainty whether it would happen as planned.1 -There is a lack of general understanding and guidance in What If? Ssituations. What if, say, 2-3 athletes would test positive at one of the WCup stage? How's the virus testing and , need be, isolation of a suspected/confirmed…
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