– Only his eyes were ice cold, so I didn’t really see anything, said cold Mari Leinan Lund to NRK.

The 24-year-old finished third and secured Norway’s triple in Friday’s World Cup opener combined, but had major problems with his vision on the cross-country course in Lillehammer.

– It’s just that everything is very unclear. “I just gave up on actually trying to see and tried to stay on my feet,” he continued.

The combined profile said he could only see the contours of the competitors and after the finish several Norwegian athletes held their faces before quickly moving towards the warm-up tent.

– I got buff and stillong and all the pressure on my head, so I had to warm up again, said Lund.

– Can’t see how steep the hill is

– It is possible that the body has been in an excited state since the morning. We have been to hill jumping and frozen a lot there. Then you get here, and there’s not much time to warm up. You were a bit cold all day, teammate Gyda Westvold Hansen, who also earned her 18th consecutive World Cup win, told NRK.

Before Friday’s competition in Lillehammer, according to Yr, the thermometer showed -11 degrees and Ida Marie Hagen, who finished second, said that she had experienced similar problems in cold weather in the past, but avoided problems on Friday.

– I think I can survive quite well with a headband over my eyes, Hagen told NRK, before he continued:

– No need to look at it too often. You just have to go quickly. It’s almost okay not to look, because you won’t see how steep the hill is.

The Ski Association’s medical officer, Ola Rønsen, believes the dry air is the cause of the vision problems.

– The combination of cold and dry air causes the eyes to dry out slightly and then increases tear production as a protective response. Thus, tear production will be greater than usual, Rønsen told NRK.

– Is it dangerous?

– No, it turns into a race lasting five or ten kilometers, so nothing can happen. But without glasses for an hour or more, you may feel irritated for a day or two afterward. In a short period of time like now, this has no effect after an hour or two.

Extend your winning streak

Westvold Hansen laid the foundation for another World Cup win after the vaulting section and finished 18 seconds ahead of Leinan Lund.

However, Hagen had incredible speed on the track, but Westvold Hansen held on and the WC queen won the first World Cup race of the season for women’s combined athletes.

– That is bad hospitality from Norway. The performance is very strong, both on the field and on the track. This is very impressive, sports director Ivar Stuan told NRK.

Westvold Hansen has won every World Cup race he has competed in in the last three seasons.