Flu debacle! ÖSV cross-country skiers are out before the World Cup – what now?

Flu debacle! ÖSV cross-country skiers are out before the World Cup – what now?

A health shock for the Austrian cross-country skiing team! The entire squad has to forego participation in the World Cup races in Oslo at short notice due to acute illnesses. The athletes Mika Vermeulen, Katharina Brudermann and Teresa Stadlober are affected by the flu virus oe24 reports. Particularly affected are the World Cup participants who prepared for the competitions to demonstrate their skills. Stadlober, who recently impressed by finishing fourth in the World Championships, will definitely remain ill for Saturday's race; However, an appearance in the 10 km race on Sunday is not yet ruled out.

World Championships in Trondheim 2025

The upcoming Nordic World Ski Championships, which will take place from February 26th to March 9th, 2025 in Trondheim, Norway, are becoming less important for Austrians due to this health crisis. How ProXCskiing reports, 16 cross-country skiing competitions are planned for the event, which will be held over a period of 10 days. These championships promise to be the biggest sporting event in Norway in 15 years, with over 300,000 spectators expected.

In the middle of these worries stands Austria's team, which was scheduled to compete on the opening day with athletes such as Brudermann, Stadlober and Vermeulen. The loss of the three top performers raises questions about how the team can perform without its strongest members. The anticipation of the high-profile event in Trondheim has been greatly dampened by the athletes' health problems, while the team management is now working on a quick recovery and a possible later deployment of Stadlober.