Time Of Youth: U23 Skiers Sweep Podiums At Olympics

22Feb 2018 by DS News Team

Never before in the history of cross country skiing as organized sport did the youth perform so well at the major competitions.

Let’s see

Denis Spitsov, 21 – bronze and two silvers ( plus 4th place in skiathlon)
Alexander Bolshunov, 21 – bronze and two silvers
( and a very happy ski sponsor, presumably – this photo was taken during a pre-Olympic photo shoot for Rossignol
Johannes Høsflot Klæbo,
21 – 3 golds
if you stretch it just a little, you could add Simen Hegstad Krüger, 24 with his two golds.

In ladies’ skiing the ratio of youngsters on the podiums is not as overwhelming but is also more than convincing:

Natalia Nepryaeva, 22 – bronze ( and one 4th place finish too)
Ebba Andersson, 20 – silver
Anastasia Sedova, 23 – bronze ( right) and Yulia Belorukova, 23 ( left) – two bronzes
Stina Nilsson, 24 – two silvers & gold

With coaches & specialists are still being busy at the Olympics, we don’t have any authoritative explanation for this “youth pedestal invasion”: why now, why in Pyeonchang, why youth seems to be blooming early in three countries only – Norway, Sweden and Russia?

We shall ask those questions when opportunity presents itself and, of course, share with you here.

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