The Norwegian Ski Association is amid an intense search for a new coach for the women’s national team. However, the successful coaches behind the Swedish traditional cross-country skiing stars are not tempted at all.

It’s no secret that the Norwegian women’s national team hasn’t performed as expected. The recent World Cup season was the weakest since the establishment of the World Cup in the Season 1981/1982, and next season the World Championships await at home in Trondheim. Shortly after Easter, the women’s national team coach Stig Rune Kveen announced that he’s resigning one year before the contract expires.

Read More: Kveen called it quits

The Swedish women have consistently performed well in the top ranks of the World Cup in both sprint and distance for years and can look back on the best World Cup season ever.

After Kveen’s resignation, Frida Karlsson’s coach Per Nilsson has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the job as head coach for the Norwegian women’s national team. The same goes for Ola Ravald, the successful coach behind Linn Svahn.

Successful coaches: “Out of the question”

Per Nilsson has been a coach for Frida Karlsson and others for many years. Last year, he also took over as head coach for the German women’s national team.

Since Nilsson took over as coach for Germany, the team has had an incredible progress. The German skiers have taken several World Cup victories and numerous top-10 results this winter, including the surprise victory by Victoria Carl at the trial World Championships in Trondheim in December.

According to Langrenn.com, Karlsson has said that she doesn’t mind sharing her successful coach with Germany. But she doesn’t want to share him with the Norwegian women.

“Sharing him with Germany, that’s fine. But sharing him with Norway, that’s not something I want. It’s something completely different”, says Karlsson to Expressen.

She won’t have to worry about that. Nilsson reveals that he has just signed a contract with Germany for two more years, at least through the Olympics in 2026. The contract also includes him continuing to support Karlsson.

Neither is Ravald tempted by the national team job at the Norwegian Ski Association:

“No, it’s not interesting for me,” says Ravald to Expressen.

Why not?

“I’m very happy with how things are right now, with my job with Linn and with the biathlon national team,” he says, adding:

“Now I also have Måns (his son, who is actively pursuing junior-level skiing). As it is now, I can also support him in all his competitions. I wouldn’t be able to do that if I worked in Norway.”

April 9, 2024 Photo: Carl Sandin / BILDBYRÅN