Olympic cross-country skiing champion Veronika Stepanova said that after the withdrawal of Russian skiers, interest in this sport in the West decreased significantly.
Last year, the International Ski Federation (FIS) suspended Russians and Belarusians from participating in competitions due to the situation in Ukraine.
– Talk to anyone – everyone knows we’re heading somewhere in the wrong direction. I count my international career from January 2019, from the first world junior championship. And all the time I hear moans and complaints from foreign friends and partners (without quotes, they always remain). It’s all about the money – everyone in Europe and the USA has less: the federations, the teams, the skiers themselves, the equipment manufacturers.
Do you want examples ? I know you like examples. Please, just without details: in a European youth team that I know well, there were 10 people, and now there are 6. Previously, they had 5-6 training camps a year, and now they have 2-3. Everyone knows perfectly well that it is impossible to win with such an approach, but there is no way. They used to be, but now they aren’t.
Or here’s a story: Five years ago, a Finnish company – a stock manufacturer – paid its ambassadors (top ten, but not champions) as much as no one pays today. Even Klebo. There is no money, the goods are not for sale. And it’s not for sale because Europeans are less interested in ski racing. And they don’t direct themselves, and they watch less, ”wrote Stepanova in her column on .
Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
