– It’s killing the sport. Without the world’s best skier Aleksandr Bolshunov and World Cup winner Natalja Nepraijeva, the level is very low. And geographically and in the public interest, that’s not good. At the moment, the World Cup is a local competition, says star Russian commentator Dmitry Guberniyev.

In this year’s WC, Norway and Sweden won 22 of 24 individual medals, and won all relays.

And at the same time that the world elite in cross-country skiing is competing for gold at the World Cup, Russia is racing against Belarusian teammates and athletes.

– It seems to me that our competition is much more interesting than WC. To be honest, I don’t even know who became the world champion. Every day we have exciting races, said Russian cross-country president Jelena Välbe Championship.

Russian athletes were banned by the International Ski Federation (FIS) because of the war in Ukraine. Therefore, they organized their own championship, in which only Russian and Belarusian athletes participated.

The local championship runs parallel to the world championship in Planica, but the Russians believe that the most interesting thing is happening in their own country.

– The real world championship is here, one hundred percent, claims Välbe.

– The whole world is here

Aleksandr Bolshunov has won four gold and one silver medals in the local races in Malinka. After the team sprint, there is little doubt that he shares Välbe’s opinion:

– There is only one championship, and here, said Bolshunov, and challenged by journalists:

– Don’t you think it’s self delusion? Norwegians don’t come here. We have to bring back the World Cup.

– I don’t care what happens in the World Cup and WC. I already said that.

– The whole world is there, while we have two countries.

– The whole world is here, I think.

– Two countries, Sasja (nickname Bolshunov, journal entry).

– Now there are two countries, then there will be more. It always happens that way, and then our time will come, said Bolshunov Express Sports.

– They’re wrong

Star commentator Dmitry Guberniyev disagreed with his compatriot.

– They’re wrong! Of course. The WC is actually in Planica. In Malinkova there is a local competition, profiles exclaim when NRK confronts them with the statement.

Gubernijev uses the nickname “the voice of biathlon” and comments on it and cross-country skiing for MatchTV, as well as taking on presenter duties and acting as advisor to the director of state media channels.

Nearly 700,000 follow TV profiles on Instagram.

Despite the fact that he disagreed with Välbe and Bolshunov’s statements, he agreed that WC was unattractive.

– Must be boring! This made cross-country skiing unappealing to spectators around the world. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and other Norwegian and Swedish athletes are real world champions, no doubt about it. But unfortunately, without Russian athletes, these are local competitions, said Gubernijev

He claimed that the Russian audience did not care about this year’s Skiing WC, and also did not understand why the Norwegian and Swedish audience should care.

– I don’t know what the Norwegian and Swedish audience will think of that. If the Norwegians and Swedes want to win all the medals, that’s fine. But without Russian athletes, I don’t understand why. They have to fight against all the best in the world, not just the local ones, said Gubernijev.

Swedish commentators believe WC is predictable

Tomas Pettersson, commentator at Expressen Sweden, believes Russia’s absence is a “little disaster” for FIS.

He is therefore confident that Russia will be invited back into good company next season, simply because sport cannot stand a lack of competition and drama.

Pettersson is clear that Russia should not be allowed to participate in the World Cup, but believes Norway-Sweden’s dominance prompts some nasty questions.

– Without Bolshunov and co. the men’s race in Planica is very predictable. So far, the excitement of guessing who will win, wrote the Swede.