23Feb 2020 by DS News Team
Good Day For Norway, For International Skiing – Not So Much

Good Day For Norway, For International Skiing – Not So Much

Leaders, Newsfeed
...On that photo Therese Johaug and Heidi Weng are looking at a race results monitor. But they might as well be looking at the competition. Norwegian juggernaut is not just strong - it's overpowering and pretty much zapping the air from the sport. Occasionally during the season it seems that the Norwegian dominance is broken - by Swedes in female skiing, Russians in male - but then Bang! And we are back to Top 10 being 75% Norwegian. That's dangerous. The International skiing lives off the money it gets from selling television rights. Now, put yourself in shoes of a national TV executive who is trying to decide: spend on skiing or on some Spartan race or whatever? There is 99% chance that yhe said executive would choose the sport…
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22Feb 2020 by DS News Team
You’ve Asked: Who Is That Bolshunov’s Sponsor?

You’ve Asked: Who Is That Bolshunov’s Sponsor?

Leaders, Newsfeed
Lately Alex Bolshunov have started to wear a sponsor logo that is not altogether familiar to the world of skiing. Let us try to fill that gap in your knowledge ULK Group is one of Russia's biggest wood processing companies. Their website announces that " The holding unites enterprises harvesting, shipping and processing of lumber as well as wood residuals processing" ULK is known for its support of youth sport in the region where the company is based - Archangel (a.k.a. Archangelsk) in Northern Russia. Last year the founder & CEO of ULK, Vladimir Butorin made an offer to Alex Alex Bolshunov and Natalia Nepryeva to switch residency to Archangel that they both accepted. " Residency" in that sense does not mean physical presence - in Russia competition in skiing…
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21Feb 2020 by DS News Team
Ski Tour 2020 – Round Up

Ski Tour 2020 – Round Up

Leaders, Newsfeed
This is an effort to summarize impressions from the inaugural Ski Tour 2020. At least we hope it's inaugural and not a one-off event in the "gap year " when there are no Olympics or the world championships. We deliberately post this before the Tour's end as there is enough info to convey and the most novel races have happened already. Good: [caption id="attachment_14841" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Tour is happening in the geographic area that could be described as "heartland of cross country skiing", at least one of them. That's what sets it apart from a better known cousin, Tour de Ski. It translates into spectators' stands packed and general atmosphere of the big event[/caption] [caption id="attachment_14832" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ecology/ sustainability trend is not a fad - it's a fashion…
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19Feb 2020 by DS News Team
Sweden Nominates Absolutely Cracking Squad For JWM2020

Sweden Nominates Absolutely Cracking Squad For JWM2020

Leaders, Newsfeed
Sweden seems to be aiming for a clean sweep at female distance races at FIS Nordic Junior & U23 Cross Country World Ski Championships 2020. Particularly in that U23 sub-division, where athletes 21 to 23 years old participate. See who are they sending to Germany next week: [caption id="attachment_14813" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Both Moa Lundgren and Emma Ribom are regular in Top 10 in the World Cup this season[/caption] [caption id="attachment_14814" align="alignnone" width="1920"] But particularly striking is the decision to send Ebba Andersson to Oberwiesenthal for U23 rather than giving her a shot a beating the Norwegians and/ or Natalia Nepryeava at Holmenkollen 30 that is happening at the roughly same time? Could it be Ebba's own decision? [/caption] [caption id="attachment_14809" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sadly for JWM fans, perhaps the biggest discovery…
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18Feb 2020 by DS News Team
Åre Uphill Sprint : Highlights

Åre Uphill Sprint : Highlights

Leaders, Newsfeed
[caption id="attachment_14791" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Women and men run the same distance. In men's race sprinters clearly dominated, but in female one it was distance runners who occupied the podium[/caption] [caption id="attachment_14790" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Italian skiers did really well with Ilaria Debertolis 12th in qualification and Greta Laurent finishing 7th overall and first among " pure sprinters" [/caption] [caption id="attachment_14787" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Organizers added interesting touch by transporting athletes downhill back to the start on snowmobiles [/caption] [caption id="attachment_14775" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The course was brutal not just uphill but downhill as well[/caption] [caption id="attachment_14777" align="alignnone" width="1920"] ..but it's uphill finish pictures that athletes will remember, ditto for fans[/caption] [caption id="attachment_14774" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Erik Valnes: " I never had this feeling before. Its like a nightmare, your try your best but the…
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