13Sep 2019 by DS News Team
Northug & Co Rule TV Ratings In Norway

Northug & Co Rule TV Ratings In Norway

Leaders, Newsfeed
No offence to the rest of the show cast but it's magnetic charm of Petter Northug that attracts audiences. Aired last night on TV2 Norway, Landskampen show that pitted some of the top stars of Norwegian skiing and biathlon against their Swedish counterparts was a runaway success. 40% share of the national audience in primetime is something television bosses and advertizers/sponsors dream about. In case you've forgotten: modern cross country skiing runs on money from television & sponsors. It's essential for all involved to build best athletes into objects of adoration and to keep public interest in them on top level throughout the year. It's a death knell for business that underpins the system, to win the world championship and then to disappear into remote training camp till the next…
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04Sep 2019 by DS News Team
Doping Control For Elite Skiers – How It Works

Doping Control For Elite Skiers – How It Works

Leaders, Newsfeed
...when you hang out with skiers, you soon realize that they tend to have two sets of behaviour over lunch or dinner: -Bursting with pent-up energy ( = training day was easy) -Too spent to lift a fork ( = training day was waaaay to hard) But occasionally third type descends rapidly and overwhelmingly. No, it's not fear or loathing - it's probably close to what one feels when he's been told to undergo unexpected sigmoidoscopy. In some ways that's what it is. Because the mood is called " Anti-doping officer is in the hotel" WADA/ADAMS rules say that " athletes…. are required to specify 1 hour each day (between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m.) during which they can be located at a specified location for testing. If they are…
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02Sep 2019 by DS News Team
Of Athletes And Media

Of Athletes And Media

Leaders, Newsfeed
Athletes are special among the human folk - and not just because they are physically stronger. They are far more ambitious, result-oriented people than the rest of us, commoners. Whether she or he admits it, the dream picture goes as follows: crossing the line victorious first, competitors (blurry, despondent) behind, all the while giving a perfect 32-teeth Hollywood smile. Well, there is a problem with that last bit, about looking perfect. Because rightly or wrongly the media is not interested all that much in how good the athlete looks - it's interested in conveying emotions. And emotions are not necessarily all that pretty whether on still or on moving pictures a.k.a video. Stronger the emotions- the better are the pic, beauty be damned. Unfair and outright wrong? Well, what you…
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27Aug 2019 by DS News Team
Team Jobstation Project Collapses, Morten Eide Pedersen Losing His 2d Team Within Few Months

Team Jobstation Project Collapses, Morten Eide Pedersen Losing His 2d Team Within Few Months

Leaders, Newsfeed
Morten Eide Pedersen does not deserve this misfortune. First Team BN Bank closes down in spring - and its 32 year old leader forced to search for a new team for the upcoming season... ...That finds itself in a shape of an ambitious continental entrant: Team Jobstation. The new French outfit talks big, signs -apart from Pedersen - Jean Marc Gaiilard , Masako Ishida and even Dario Cologna as a sort of a cameo appearance star.... Ten days ago, with considerably less fanfare, it is announced that a title sponsor has pulled the plug at the last moment, Team Jobstation is no more and there is an urgent need of a new sponsor willing & able to provide some 250.000 euros needed for the next season. Highly unlikely, alas. So,…
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26Aug 2019 by DS News Team
Toppidrettsveka – Another Lesson To World As To How To Stage Event – And Move Skiing Forward

Toppidrettsveka – Another Lesson To World As To How To Stage Event – And Move Skiing Forward

Leaders, Newsfeed, Travel & Mass Sport
Normally, in discussion conclusions follow arguments. Well, we want to up-end that and to start with conclusion: world's cross country skiing really has two options: Learn how Norwegians do things and effort to replicate them at home. Or just move all the top-level competitions to Norway, period. Yes, the way the Ironman World Championship is held in Hawaii - and nobody seems to have a problem with that because "Hawaii does it best" The Norwegians have honed the art of staging cross country skiing races to such extent that , putting it bluntly, races elsewhere are starting to look pale in comparison. Especially in the summer. Conversely, premier summer races in Norway are even better than their winter ones ( hint - it's warmer and doesn't get dark before lunchtime!)…
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