26-year-old Alicia Persson was barred from competing in Falun. From Åsarna IK, she was set to replace Märta Rosenberg in the World Cup in Falun. But just before the race, she was informed that she couldn’t start.

“It’s really disappointing,” said Persson, who was ready to race in Falun.

According to Langd.se, U23 World Champion Märta Rosenberg fell ill, opening up an opportunity in Falun for Alicia Persson. She had previously competed in three World Cup races, though it had been over two years since her last appearance.

On Thursday, she was told she would get to race in Falun, but just an hour before the start, she was informed that she wouldn’t be allowed to compete in the sprint prologue.

The Reason?

A new FIS rule states that athletes must have fewer than 150 FIS points to start in a World Cup event. No one in the Swedish Ski Federation had considered this. Alicia Persson had 151 FIS points.

“We should have caught this earlier, that’s for sure. We just have to admit our mistake,” said national team manager Anders Byström.

The Swedish team attempted to request an exemption for Persson, but it was denied. The rule is new for this season.

Alicia Persson herself wasn’t aware of the new rule.

“It would have meant so much to me to race. I’m on my way back, and that’s a big reason why my FIS points are so bad. I just haven’t competed much. That frustrates me the most—my poor ranking doesn’t reflect my ability. I deserve to race,” she told Expressen.

“Honestly, I think this rule is completely pointless. I don’t really see any purpose for it. It’s tough to lower your FIS points at Swedish competitions, so a World Cup start would have really helped,” she ends.

Instead, Lisa Eriksson from Piteå Elit took the spot that was supposed to go to Alicia Persson. She had to settle for a training session in Falun before heading home.

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