When the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) announced the schedule for the upcoming season, it introduced a controversial new race format: a five-kilometer mass start with heats. This addition replaces all relay races in the World Cup, meaning there won’t be any relay competitions before the Olympics. The change has drawn criticism from several top Swedish skiers.
Before becoming official, the format still needs approval at the Federation’s Congress in June.
Swedish skier William Poromaa expressed concern, saying he doesn’t understand how the format is supposed to work which makes him worry about how TV viewers will perceive it. “I’ve been racing for a while, and if I don’t get it, I wonder how others are supposed to,” he told SVT Sport.
While Poromaa acknowledges the need to grow the sport and include more countries, he’s unsure whether this approach makes sense. “I get that changes are necessary, but at some point, it risks becoming absurd.”
His teammate Ebba Andersson echoed the confusion. “I don’t think anyone really understands what this is supposed to look like in practice. Hopefully it’ll become clearer,” she said to SVT Sport.
SVT cross-country skiing expert Anders Blomquist was even more blunt, criticizing the new format as misguided. “Innovation can be good, but I think this is a mistake. It won’t be enjoyable for the athletes or the audience. For the sport as a whole, I think it’s a step in the wrong direction,” he said.
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