The 2011 world champion in cross-country skiing, Canadian Devon Kershaw called the team tactics the advantage of the Norwegian skiers over the Russian ones. He spoke about this in the FasterSkier podcast.
“It would be interesting to see how big teams send someone to the attack, and the other team is trying to catch up with this fugitive, or the same team deliberately slows down the tempo in the group. We sometimes see this performed by the Norwegians, but the Russians never even try, ”said Kershaw. He explained that team tactics create a cushion of air behind the athletes that gives them an edge.
According to Kershaw, the Russians could try to use command tactics, especially at a time when Bolshunov and Ustyugov were at their peak. He stressed that the technique and physical fitness of athletes play an important role. At the same time, the champion noted that there are few starts at the World Cup, and the competition in the Russian and Norwegian teams is high. “Nobody wants to sacrifice their chances to compete in the World Cup just to put a spoke in Klebo’s wheels,” the champion said.
On November 30, Italian skier Federico Pellegrino shared his opinion on the reasons for the tensions between Russian and Norwegian athletes. He noted that the problem is related to the unclear rules of the International Ski Federation, which are interpreted by athletes in different ways.
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
