International Ski and Snowboard Federation (Fis) has decided that men and women will run the races simultaneously when Holmenkollen's five-mile race is decided in March next year.
The races will take place when there are most spectators at the stadium outside Oslo. Therefore, the women start 45 minutes after the men. Swedish wax chief Anders Svanebo does not like the new setup.
I would have preferred that they finished one class before starting the next. Now it will be extra pressure on the waxing team because it's a five-mile race with a ski change, he says.
Normally, Sweden has six skiers at the start in a men's or women's race in a World Cup five-mile race. This means twelve waxed skis since each skier gets to change a pair during the race. Now the waxing team must wax 24 skis for twelve skiers and it must be done at the same time.
”Extra challenging”
In March, it can be different snow the same day in Oslo, which makes waxing extra challenging.
We have to come up with a plan for how we will handle this work-wise. Fortunately, it's freestyle with one moment less compared to classical style, says Svanbo.
TT: Will there be an increased risk of waxing mistakes?
The more skis that need to be waxed, the greater the risk is always. It's about minimizing the risk and hoping for stable conditions. Otherwise, it can become problematic. It will be extra pressure on the waxing team, replies Svanebo.
”Payback time”
Calle Halfvarsson, who may then get to ski on stress-waxed skis, wants to calm down his wax chief.
It will be more work for the waxers on the same day. But it's not good if he's nervous about it. You want him to be safe, says Halfvarsson.
Halfvarsson thinks more about the women's conditions:
It will be extra tough for the girls to ski after us because the tracks will be ruined. But it will be a little "payback time" for us because we have competed after them all these years on the same competition days in ruined tracks. Now it's time for us to get to ski on fine newly prepared tracks.
+ 28–30 November: World Cup premiere – Ruka, Finland
+ 28 December–4 January: Tour de ski – Italy, Germany, Switzerland
+ 4–22 February: Olympic Games – Milan/Cortina, Italy
+ 28 February–1 March: World Cup – Falun
+ 20–22 March: World Cup final – Lake Placid, USA
