Cross-country skiing: the only skiathlon before the 2026 Games
06:46. With just one week to go until the only skiathlon event scheduled before the Milan-Cortina Games, doubts have been cast on the World Cup in Trondheim (Norway). According to Aftonbladet and Anders Bystroem, the Nordic kingdom’s team boss, the Norwegian organisers had not “prepared the slopes properly”. It certainly snowed, but that was before the artificial snow was put in place.
In the absence of sufficient snow cover on the entire route of the last World Championships, the organisers are finding it difficult to guarantee a complete course combining classic and skating, as set out in the official FIS programme for the Granåsen weekend.
Skiers now fear that the race will be cancelled altogether or turned into a simple distance race.
On the Norwegian side, coach Eirik Myhr Nossum is optimistic, relying on the forecast cooling and the night work of the groomers to save the format. The FIS is waiting for the latest weather data and a detailed report from the competition area before making a decision. The verdict is expected by Monday at the latest on whether the big skiathlon dress rehearsal will take place on December 6.
