Swede Halfvarsson: Maltsev acted unsportsmanlike and ugly at the Tour de Ski
Kalle Halfvarsson. Photo: @chalfvarsson
Swedish skier Kalle Halfvarsson accused Russian Artem Maltsev of unsportsmanlike behavior in the sprint semifinals at the first stage of the Tour de Ski. Expressen reports.
“Maltsev acted unsportsmanlike and ugly. Now they will talk about excuses, but he ruined my race. This is unpleasant, ”said Halfvarsson. He said that he had good speed on the track, but the Russian jumped out in front of him and brought down his pace.
The Swedish skier noted that according to the new rules, it is forbidden to maneuver in this way. “I think the rules are hard to understand. He didn’t ride over me, but acted unsportsmanlike, blocked me, ”the athlete said.
In the semifinal race, Halfvarsson finished in fourth place, while Maltsev finished in last place – sixth. These results did not allow skiers to qualify for the final stage of the race.
On November 30, Italian skier Federico Pellegrino explained the reason for the tensions between athletes from different countries, including between Russians and Norwegians. He stated that the problems appeared due to the not entirely clear rules of the International Ski Federation (FIS), which were not always correctly interpreted by the judges. The skier noted that this created confusion for athletes who did not always understand what was allowed and what was not.
The first stage of the Tour de Ski takes place in Switzerland from 28 to 29 December. The second stage of the competition will be hosted by Germany, it will take place from December 31 to January 1.
