Winter sports scene in turmoil: “Annoys me so much”

Instead of just spending the whole summer doing arduous training, Maren Lundby thought of something special this year: The 27-year-old decided to take part in the TV show Skal vi danse, comparable to Let's Dance in Germany. Although this is common practice in the Nordic countries (swimming star Pernille Blume also takes part in the same format in Denmark), the 30-time World Cup winner received a lot of criticism for it. After many prominent statements, a real debate has now broken out in this regard.

The eccentric Emil Iversen got the ball rolling. The cross-country skier, who is notorious for his statements, recently said that Lundby's participation was "very unprofessional," especially since she would be appearing on the show "all fall." “You can wait until after your career to do such things,” said the 30-year-old, triggering a storm of indignation. Backing for Lundby Many athletes jumped to Lundby's side, who in turn reacted calmly to Iversen's statements. “I can well understand that they are critical, but only I know what it takes to be the best ski jumper in the world,” she told Norwegian radio NRK: "It's possible that Emil is a little jealous because he wasn't asked, but I don't know." She is welcome to invite him to dance training and coffee if he wants to find out more about her decision. "I am hoping for a positive answer."

Emil Iversen is heavily criticized. © APA/afp / CHRISTOF STACHE

But it wasn't just the protagonists themselves who discussed Lundby's choice, but also many other winter sports greats, such as Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold and Tiril Eckhoff. “Wouldn’t the world be a little better if people could do what they think is best for them?” Tandrevold recently asked in the Kant ut podcast. The biathlon stars praise Lundby for the “courageous decision”, but on the other hand they do not understand why the cross-country ski camp should care about how a ski jumper organizes her preparation for the season. “I’m so annoyed,” Eckhoff clearly expresses her opinion. The Bøs take it with humor The Bø brothers Johannes Thingnes and Tarjei also support Lundby. “The cross-country skiers, led by Emil Iversen, are jealous of Maren. “She’s having fun on prime-time television while they’re exhausting each other during altitude training,” Johannes Thingnes told TV2. Tarjei, on the other hand, has put forward his own curious thesis in response to Iversen's criticism. “Cross-country skiers were born in the forest, grew up in the forest and will always remain in the forest. And then it's hard to understand what dancing is. “I don’t think there is a disco at Iversen’s home in Meråker (a community of 2500 people in the heart of Norway, editor’s note),” he jokes.

Winter will show how Lundby's foray into the TV world affects her performance. What is certain is that the Norwegian will do everything she can to prove Iversen wrong.

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Winter sports scene in turmoil: “Annoys me so much”

A few months before the start of the new winter sports season, an actually entertaining thing is causing discontent in the Norwegian winter sports scene. At the center of the debate: ski jumper Maren Lundby.

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