New Covid-cases force Norway to make changes to the national team for the World Cup final in Falun, which starts tomorrow.

The entire Norwegian sprint team was infected by Covid-19 following the World Cup in Lahti two weeks ago. Now, several additional skiers have tested positive for Covid-19, forcing the team directors to make changes in the lineup for the World Cup final in Falun this weekend. 

Ane Appelkvist Stenseth and Mattis Stenshagen will not be able to race in Falun. Heidi Weng will replace Appelkvist Stenshagen in the sprint on Friday. 

Stenshagen is still not sufficiently recovered from his Covid infection. He was named to the team as the leader of the Scandinavian Cup, which earns him a free berth to the World Cup. However, he will not be replaced for the Falun races. 

Yesterday, the Norwegian national team announced that Johannes Høsflot Klæbo is still not recovered from Covid-19 and will not be racing in Falun.

This is Norway’s team to the World Cup in Falun

The World Cup event in Falun on March 11 through 13 will be the last of the 2021-22 FIS Cross-Country World Cup season. The first day at the Falun World Cup features sprint races for both men and women, followed by 10km skate for women and 15km skate races on Saturday, and relays for both men and women on Sunday. 

2022 World Cup season cut short
Next week’s World Cup event in Falun will be the last of the 2022 season, as the FIS failed to find an alternate organizer for the World Cup final that was scheduled to take place in Tyumen, Russia, on March 18 to 20. 

FIS Cross-Country and various National Ski Federations have tried to find a possible replacement for the cancelled World Cup events in Tyumen, Russia, on March 18 to 20. 

The World Cup events in Tyumen were cancelled as a part of global sanctions placed on Russia and Belarus in response to the Russian invasion and the war in the Ukraine.