The Norway, Sweden, Finland Opt-Out Episode

Not two weeks ago, despite the pandemic, it appeared the FIS World Cup had dodged the proverbial positive-test bullet. The Ruka, Finland round of the World Cup went down with fantastic racing, and, as far as we know at the time of dropping this episode, no positive Covid-19 cases among the athletes in Ruka. The cracks began to appear shortly after the racing in Finland concluded. Several of Norway's star skiers independently withdrew from World Cup racing through December - they were the first to go. Then three major World Cup players, Norway, Sweden, and Finland collectively opted out. As we reported on the FasterSkier website, these teams felt the safety protocols and fidelity to those Covid-19 prevention measures in Ruka were insufficient. We all know that race day is race day - you compete against those who wear the bibs. That said, we also know a World Cup race without Norway, Sweden, and Finland is like the Bulls without Jordan, a slalom race without Shiffrin, grooming with no classic tracks set. Devon breaks it down and provides his thoughts on where this all goes from here. Thanks for listening and here's the disclaimer, this episode contains some unbeeped potty words.