Team Aker Dæhlie has made significant changes for the upcoming season. The Norwegian team is reducing the number of skiers in the squad for the season 2024/2025.

One of the athletes continuing is Astrid Øyre Slind, who is doing her third season with the team and will, just like last season, focus on both the World Cup and Ski Classics, in addition to one of the big winter’s highlights, the Trondheim World Championships.

“For the all-round team, our goal is to fight for World Championships medals in Trondheim. In Ski Classics, we’re aiming for victories in Ski Classics races and the overall victory in the team competition we won two years ago,” says Team Aker Dæhlie General Manager Jarle Wermskog to Langrenn.com.

The Norwegian team will pursue these goals with a significantly smaller squad. From more than 40 athletes spread across the various teams within Team Aker Dæhlie last year, there are 29 skiers this year.

This includes the Pro Team (long-distance team), the Norwegian and international all-round teams (traditional cross-country skiing), the British national team, and the para-skiers, with athletes from nine different countries.

Also Read: What happened to Team Aker Dæhlie?

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Reorganizing

The team is reducing the number of skiers partly for financial reasons but also due to reorganization and changes in roles. At the same time, the team is strengthening its support team with a new signing in the waxing squad, for example.

“We want to give our skiers the best sporting program to meet their and the team’s goals,” says Wermskog.

Among other things, Chris Jespersen is now leaving Ski Classics as a Pro Team athlete and taking on a full-time coaching role for the long-distance team while continuing as Astrid Øyre Slind’s coach.

Joachim Aurland, the long-distance skiing team’s Pro Team Director since its inception, will now take on that role for the whole of Team Aker Dæhlie.

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New wax tech

For the coming season, Team Aker Dæhlie is also strengthening its support team for Ski Classics. In addition to Jespersen being a full-time coach, the team has signed a new waxing manager.

“It’s no secret that we didn’t always have the best skis in Ski Classics last winter. So, we’ve brought in Simen Finjord as our new waxing manager,” says Wermskog.

When the 20-year-old from Alta, Norway, was forced to give up his plans due to injuries, he continued as a wax tech on the regional team Team Elon Nord-Norge and quickly gained a reputation as one of the industry’s most skilled. Now, he’s been headhunted to wax the skis of some of the world’s best athletes.

Team Aker Dæhlie Season 2024/2025

Ski Classics Pro Team

Women

• Guro Jordheim
• Silje Øyre Slind
• Astrid Øyre Slind (also aiming for the World Cup and World Championships in Trondheim)

Men

• Max Novak
• Magnus Vesterheim
• Petter Stakston
• Stian Hoelgaard
• Andrew Musgrave

Coach: Chris Jespersen

All-Round Team (traditional cross-country skiing team)

Norway

• Kari Øyre Slind
• Amalie Håkonsen Ous
• Emma Kirkeberg Mørk
• Silje Theodorsen
• Gjøran Tefre

Coach: Hans Kristian Stadheim

International

• Thomas Maloney Westgård, Ireland
• Wang Qiang, China
• Patricija Eiduka, Latvia
• Katerina Janatova, Czech Republic
• Sophia Laukli, USA
• Irineu Altimiras, Andorra

Coaches: Hans Kristian Stadheim, Jostein Vinjerui, Bernard Rønning (for Qiang)

Great Britain National Team

• Andrew Musgrave
• Andrew Young
• James Clugnet
• Gabriel Gledhill
• Joe Davies

Coach: Jostein Vinjerui

Para 2024/2025

• Isabell Valen
• Kjartan Haugen
• Lars Andersen
• Endre Lykken
• Scott Meenagh, Great Britain