For a week, rumors of fluor cheating have swirled after one of the long-distance skiing stars came forward claiming that competitors are cheating. Now, the long-distance skiing teams feel unjustly suspected.

Questioning rumors of “saturating” skis with fluor between races: long-distance skiing teams feel unjustly suspected.

See facts about the fluor ban at the bottom of the article.

The situation peaked last weekend during the Ski Classics double event in Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden. Then, Swedish Max Novak of Team Aker Dæhlie appeared on Swedish TV more than suggesting that competitors cheat with “fluor doping.” 

He claims that other teams “saturate” their skis with fluor between races and then clean them before competitions, thereby gaining a competitive advantage without testing positive in the fluor control.

Also Read: “Saturating” skis: Are skiers gaining an unfair advantage between races?

To SVT, Novak says:

“They have turned every stone inside the waxing cabin and talked to many industry people. There are methods where you put fluor on the skis between races to make them glide and then clean them in the same way as you did before the season. But it makes the skis able to glide quite well. But we have not done that. So maybe we have been too honest.”

So, it doesn’t show up on the tests if you do it? 

“No. Everyone was on fluor last year. Then they cleaned, and we raced on the same skis,” says Novak.

Read More: What happened to Team Aker Dæhlie?

The article continues below.

Now, several other long-distance skiing teams feel unjustly suspected.

Team Ragde Charge is one of them. Pro Team Director Jørgen Aukland of the Norwegian long-distance skiing team finds it sad that some now spread rumors about speculation in fluor cheating. It creates “glaring” in the environment, where teams that have done well with their skis feel suspected.

“It’s sad that some are spreading such rumors. The team with double the budgets compared to everyone else has missed the most on skis this winter. They haven’t had competitive skis, but to go out and say that everyone else is cheating is just sad,” says Aukland to Langrenn.com.

For him and his team, the fluor ban has been simple to deal with.

“Fluor is banned. We no longer use it, plain and simple. We have packed it away and cleaned everything,” says Aukland, and continues:

“It’s annoying to feel suspected. The top three are tested every time after the finish, so in that sense, our skiers have been tested every weekend this season.”

The article continues below.

FACTS: The Fluor Ban

Starting from the 2023/2024 season, a total ban on fluor for all competitions was introduced. This was announced by both the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) and the International Biathlon Union (IBU) in March 2023.

This summer, the international federations presented the testing procedure and protocol for how the fluor ban will be enforced this winter. The consequence of testing positive for fluor is harsh: Those who test positive for fluor will be disqualified, and the decision cannot be appealed.

Therefore, the Norwegian Ski Federation has invested significant resources in developing procedures and guidelines to ensure that athletes do not start with skis that lead to disqualification.

In May, the Ski Federation hired a dedicated fluor coordinator, and they established a professional portal on their websites with information, videos, and other content related to the fluor ban.

Read More: Norwegian Fluor Guide Becomes International Standard