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Last season, the Norwegian Alpine men had a total of 15 World Cup victories.
This season, the Norwegians have not won a single race at men's level.
While Alexander Aamodt Kylde and Adrian Smith-Segersted are out due to injury, there are also no Norwegians among the top 20 players in the speed disciplines.
– Very spoiled
Ketel Andre Aamodt sees no reason to magnify the crisis, but he realizes that there is room for improvement.
– There has been a somewhat sudden decline with many of the same athletes. Now they are facing some bad luck, but they also have to see if they can get more from the athletes, Aamodt tells Netafisin.
However, the Olympic champion believes that Norwegian TV viewers and fans in the Alps are accustomed to success at the World Cup.
– It's a fringe sport, and we've spoiled it a lot. It is unusual to win as much as Norway has in the last two years. We are generally strong, points out Immodt.
Since last season, Lukas Bräthen has given up, Henrik Kristoffersen has not performed at the same level, and Alexander Aamodt Kjelde had to settle for second place before his injury.
In total, Norway has made ten World Cup podium finishes at men's level this season.
Points to Lund Svindal
Aamodt believes there are natural reasons why there are not many people in Norway who can be relied upon in the speed disciplines when Segerstedt and Kjeld are out.
He realizes that anyone who aims to assert himself in speed must become good enough technically by first racing the slalom and giant slalom.
– Fuse, Dominique Paris and Axel Lund Svindal, who have won a lot in the last 10-15 years, were at the top as juniors in slalom. You can't focus too early on speed either, because you won't be technically good enough, Aamodt says.
Alexander Aamodt Kilde also became world junior champion in giant slalom before focusing on the speed disciplines.
– Many of the 20-40 year olds in the speed world are athletes who were not technically good enough. They get up to speed a little early, and then there are only a few tracks, where it's too easy, where they can assert themselves. “You have to have some special skills as a runner,” Aamodt says.
– Species must be found
It is precisely for this reason that he believes Norway is in a fairly good position in terms of recruitment, as we assert ourselves in technical training in the younger year groups.
– If you look at the world rankings in slalom and giant slalom for younger age groups, you will find that Norway is at the top in all age groups. Svindal and Jansrud were also the best there, so you eventually become a runner if that's where you feel you have the most gains, says Aamodt.
Atlee lists McGrath, Frederik Müller, Alexander Sten Olsen, Erik Hystad Solberg, Simen Silage, Theodor Bracken, Oskar Andreas Sandvik, and Toleve Haugen as Norwegian hopes for the future born after the turn of the millennium.
At the same time, Aamodt realizes that more can be done to select those who have the potential to assert themselves in the speed disciplines.
-You have to find these types out there and get to know them, but you have to reach a certain level in slalom and giant slalom to be good enough to win downhill and super-G. “We're very good at slalom and giant slalom, so you have to look at what you can do,” Aamodt says.
Raist: We are a small but large nation
Sports director of the Alpine national team, Klaus Rist, is not worried, even though there has been no Norwegian on top of the podium this season.
– We don't have much focus on this victory. You see the joy when Timon (Hogan) comes in second place in Schladming, and now there are still many ski races left. He, who had nearly half the wins last year, is out due to injury, and Atlee (Lee McGrath) is back from injury. When you analyze each runner individually, as we do every day, you see what lies behind the results, Raist tells Netafsen.
He points out that Norway has never had a major national team in speed competitions and that injuries to the main runners have always had a major impact on Norway’s position in high positions in the results lists.
-We have a history of introducing people into technical specializations. When they are established, they go into overdrive. We see this as what we have had the most success with. If you look at our speed teams since 1994, they have been very small. When two come out with damage, it becomes very visible. “We are a small nation, but big in terms of results,” says Rist.
This weekend, the World Cup Circus moves to Olympic Valley, known as Squaw Valley, where the slalom and giant slalom will be held.
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