That’s what the overall winner of the Roller Ski World Cup 2022, Amund Korsæth, says. He believes the World Cup is a gift package for committed cross-country skiers and calls for more Norwegian participants in international roller ski races. 

When Korsæth won the overall men’s Roller Ski World Cup in 2022, he became the first Norwegian to do so since Jan Jacob Verdenius did it in the 2000 season. Guro Strøm Solli won the overall women’s World Cup in 2011. 

Korsæth also won silver in the 2021 Roller Ski World Championships, and last week the 23-year-old from Norway was selected for the World Championships in Italy in August.

“The World Championships is held only every other year, and I took silver the last time I went to the World Championships. So, I want to focus a little extra on the Worlds this year,” says Korsæth to Langrenn.com. 

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Missing more Norwegians

But Korsæth wants more Norwegians to participate in roller skiing at the highest international level. He believes the World Cup is a gift package for committed athletes. 

“Everyone who focuses on cross-country skiing in Norway has roller skis, trains on roller skis, and some go almost more roller ski races than ski races,” says Korsæth. 

The World Cup competitions are a great experience, good training and valuable competition experience. 

“There is a very high level of competition in the Roller Ski World Cup, and it’s nice to take part,” says Korsæth.

Springboard for skiing

Korsæth also believes that the Roller Ski World Cup can be a springboard to the World Cup and international skiing races.  

“There is an extremely high level of cross-country skiing in Norway, and there are generally very few who are selected to go to the World Cup or international races,” he says. 

But for the Roller Ski World Cup, it’s different. Anyone interested in participating can show interest to the Ski Association, which handles the registration. And Korsæth believes that there are many Norwegians who have good prospects there. 

“You can see that the best skiers in the winter also go fast on roller skis.”  

This year’s World Cup started in Kazakhstan from July 13 to 16. Several of the five Norwegian athletes distinguished themselves with podium places during the World Cup opening. 

Next is the Roller Ski World Championships in Italy from August 10 to 13. The World Championships is included as the second of four rounds in the Roller Ski World Cup 2023. 

Read More: Norwegian Team for the Roller Ski World Championships

After the World Championships, the Roller Ski World Cup continues with a stage in Madona, Latvia, from August 18 to 20. The final event will be held in Italy from September 8 to 10. 

Also Read: Calendar for the Roller Ski World Cup 2023 and rule changes

Read More: New venue revealed for the 2023 Roller Ski World Championships

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Don’t break the winter form

Korsæth feels that several myths characterize the reputation of the Roller Ski World Cup in the Norwegian skiing community: that the World Cup has a B-level feel, that results from roller skiing competitions are not “worth as much” as corresponding placements on snow, and that competition experience from roller skiing is not transferable or relevant to winter’s races. 

“Cross-country skiing is more and more a year-round sport. You can see that when the best skiers go roller skiing, the best wins,” he says. 

Korsæth also believes it is a myth that you “wear out your competitive form for the winter” by focusing on roller skiing in the summer. 

“I think it is only positive to compete throughout the year. It’s good training, and it’s not dangerous to attend a few summer competitions. We saw that in the 2019 season when Alexander Bolshunov won the World Championships in Madona, then he won the Top Sports Week soon after, and several World Cup races in skiing that winter as well,” says Korsæth, and added:

“No one did more roller skiing than Petter Northug did when he was at his best.”

Experience and routine

Korsæth achieved solid results last winter during the U23 World Championships in Canada. He does not doubt that the base and experiences from the Roller Ski World Championships and the World Cup were helpful in that context. 

“It is clear that I enjoyed that I had already been to the World Championships and World Cup before. There is more stress and more circus at the highest level. Still, the fact that I have attended the Roller Ski World Championships and a few Roller Ski World Cups meant that I had much more tranquility and routine when I came to the U23 World Championships this winter,” says Korsæth, and continued: 

“It was clearly an advantage to have run some competitions with skiers from other nations before because some race a little differently from what we are used to from Scandinavia. Italians, for example, are often a bit hot-tempered in the field, and it’s good to be a little prepared for that when you meet them on snow.” 

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Prejudice and myths aside, Korsæth believes a lack of information is perhaps the most important reason why Norway is not better represented in the Roller Ski World Cup and the World Championships. 

The 23-year-old also believes that more significant interest in the Roller Ski World Cup among committed athletes can contribute to the Norwegian Ski Association giving it a higher priority. Korsæth believes that the World Cup will gain greater national and international status. 

“The Ski Association has not invested heavily in the Roller Ski World Cup, and it is not that easy to find the information that has been published. So, I think there is a reason why not more of the very best in Norway are involved,” he says. 

However, Korsæth understands that some people think it is expensive when the Ski Association does not contribute financially to those who attend the Roller Ski World Cup.

“But for those who have 75 FIS points or less, the organizer pays for everything around the stay, at least at the World Championships,” he adds.