The Norwegian cross-country star was on her way to the finish line in Saturday's 10-kilometer classic at the Norwegian premiere in Beitostølen. Then she (deliberately?) took a few freestyle cuts just before the finish line and received a yellow card – and was thus without a result.
Two warnings during the same ski season means disqualification, regardless of the competition. Kristine Stavås Skistad also received a yellow card during Friday's sprint – which she won – and now committed another rule violation.
In this way, she thought she had gotten rid of the threat of suspension ahead of the World Cup premiere in Ruka, Finland, next weekend. In a not entirely credible comment after the race, she claimed that it was just a matter of stamina.
I was so tired at the end that I couldn't stay on track, said Skistad in NRK's broadcast.
It turned out to be a mistake anyway.
It was a red card, unfortunately, Skistad told NRK after meeting the jury.
This means that she will still get a yellow card for her World Cup debut.
More and more voices are now being raised to change the rules. The issue was also raised on Friday when Alvar Myhlback was disqualified after having a false start in the sprint in Gällivare, during the Swedish cross-country premiere. At that time, Myhlback was punished because he had a warning with him from a roller skiing race in August.
"I think they are two separate sports, what you do in the summer on roller skis should stay there. It should have been reset. That has to change," Myhlback told SVT.
Heidi Weng won the 10 kilometer race in Beitostølen, 2.3 seconds ahead of Kristin Austgulen Fosnes.
