Beijing Olympic Champion Veronika Stepanova in her column on “” noted the role of the Norwegian Pierre Northug in the promotion of cross-country skiing.
– I grew up when Peter Nortug shone on the track and beyond. This guy always knows how to attract attention with his behavior and statements. Attention not only and not so much to yourself. Once I read in a Norwegian newspaper that a sharp increase in the popularity of cross-country skiing in this country was the merit of Nortug. It was he who showed everyone that cross-country skiing is not necessarily hard on men and women on the snow, it can and should be fun. It was during his decade that television ratings soared and funding for ski racing in Norway tripled. And when Peter announced his retirement, interest in the sport in his native country began to decline. And it falls again.
That doesn’t mean I’m not inspired by our national skiers. Alexander Legkov, Sergey Ustyugov, Alexander Bolshunov in different years became the most popular athletes in the country thanks to a combination of victories and image.
It’s just not enough today. The world is changing, there are sports that are skilfully promoted, the public is more and more demanding. I am sure that we must do everything possible to bring attention to your sport – to turn it on and watch it, – 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.
