Legendary coach Steinar Mundal has over 35 years of experience at the national and elite levels, including over ten years with the Norwegian cross-country skiing national team until 2016. He believes that it has become too easy to quit or withdraw if the results do not seem to be as desired or expected. Mundal is highly skeptical of the fact that so many Norwegian cross-country skiers withdrew from the Tour de Ski this year.

Read his comment on Langrenn.com:

“First of all, I want to congratulate Harald Østberg Amundsen for winning the men’s class in the Tour de Ski overall. What he delivered was truly amazing. He is a real all-rounder. I also want to congratulate Heidi Weng for a fantastic second place overall.”

Here you can see a video with highlights from the final stages of the Tour de Ski for women and men.

Also Read: Steinar Mundal about heart rate monitors

“Now, I want to address what I believe was poorly handled. The fact that the women’s team became thinner and thinner during the Tour. When I was a coach for the men’s national team alongside Trond Nystad, I believe that all the athletes who were selected completed the entire Tour de Ski. It was a big deal to participate in the Tour.”

“I noticed that five out of the nine Norwegian female skiers went home during the Tour. It’s one thing for Kristine Stavås Skistad, who had decided in advance to participate in two sprint races and one long-distance race. Having a plan is fine. But I feel that it’s too easy to go home, even if they have poor placements. If they all actually got sick, then it’s okay, but I find it hard to believe. On the men’s side, I believe it was only Didrik Tønnset who went home.”

“I am disappointed by what happened in this year’s Tour de Ski. Norway as a nation should show a completely different attitude. Now we need to pull together, both leaders and athletes.”

About Steinar Mundal

Legendary coach Steinar Mundal has over 35 years of experience as a ski coach at various levels, from clubs to national teams in cross-country skiing and biathlon.

The accomplished 73-year-old has been a full-time national team coach since 1992, initially for Canada’s national team until 1998, and then for the Norwegian national teams in cross-country skiing and biathlon, as well as individual athletes. Mundal has coached athletes such as Vibeke Skofterud, Petter Northug, and Martin Johnsrud Sundby.

In the summer of 2022, Mundal concluded his last formal coaching contract after four years as the coach of the private team Team Telemark, which is now part of the new Norwegian effort, Team Aker Dæhlie. In that role, he was responsible for athletes like Even Northug until he joined the elite national team in 2022, as well as talents like Mikael Gunnulfsen and Kari Øyre Slind.

Mundal also volunteers as a coach in various contexts, including the ski group for Kirkens Bymisjon Drammen, which caters to children and youth in the local ski club Konnerud IL.

In 2020, Steinar Mundal published a book with the title “Du vinner hvis du vil” (You win if you want to), co-authored by Tor Edvin Dahl, reflecting his life motto.

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