The dramatic course change was announced at the Olympic stadium just an hour before the race was scheduled to start on Saturday. At the same time, the start was delayed by an hour, to 08.00 Norwegian time.

The FIS (International Ski Federation) justification is high winds and what they call “extreme conditions”. They wrote that the decision to cut the distance from 50 to 28.4 kilometers was for the safety of the athletes.

There were lots of reactions both before and after the race Aleksandr Bolshunov won.

– I think you should at least try to finish the five-mile run. They had the weather forecast in China so we knew it was going to be a rainy day, said Hans Christer Holund, who was one of the favourites, but came in 13th.

– It doesn’t seem very well thought out

Holund suggests that women’s joint starts in biathlon may one day be brought forward, and believes that perhaps cross-country skiing should also be considered. On Saturday, cross-country skiers were already warming up and ready when they received the message.

– Were they behind when they made the decision when they made the decision so late?

– Yes, they really have it. When they changed an hour before the start it didn’t seem well thought out, Holund told NRK.

Bronze medalist Simen Hegstad Krüger is also confident of going 21.6 kilometers further.

– We’re all gearing up for the five mile race today, and that’s what we’re looking forward to. You’re just trying to adjust when you get his message, he said, stressing that he respects the decision.

– I think it will go well, but it’s hard to say. It wouldn’t be good if people froze and passed out, so it might be okay to cut. We didn’t know that, says Kruger.

Norwegian cross-country manager Espen Bjervig explained to NRK that his response to the judges this morning was for them to think carefully.

– What a joke

However, it turned out that many did not participate in the Norwegian delegation at the stadium in Zhangjiakou. Briton Andrew Musgrave railed against the judges’ decision on Twitter before the start of the race.

– The FIS just shortened the five Olympic miles to 28 kilometers due to being a bit cold and windy. I don’t see how that makes it any warmer or less cold. What a joke, he wrote.

– I must say I’m annoyed. I don’t know what they do. Before the teams were notified that the race had been shortened, it was already in the Norwegian media. This is quite ludicrous, Musgrave told NRK.

FIS (International Ski Federation) and race director Pierre Mignerey have yet to respond to NRK’s ​​questions on Saturday.

Musgrave’s coach and manager for Great Britain, Jostein Vinjerui, told NRK he found the decision very boring. After all, they had prepared for a grueling 50 kilometer walk.

– I also don’t think his condition is worse than other days. It’s a bit windy today, but not cold. I think it was colder in the 30 kilometer ski change and especially the women’s race was colder than it is now. The final sprint at night and significantly colder than it feels now.

– Most of the team is dissatisfied

Coach at the Russian Olympic Committee, Markus Cramer, is clear on their attitude.

– We are not satisfied with this, he told Discovery.

He said he had spoken to many coaches, without naming a country other than Sweden specifically, and Cramer claimed that “everyone” wanted the FIS to postpone the race until Sunday. The trainer said the weather forecast, both in terms of the number of degrees Celsius and the wind, was much more promising at that time.

– Everyone wants to walk 50 kilometers. Not 30. Most of the team wasn’t happy.

He was also asked about Andrew Musgrave’s power performance in the morning Norwegian time.

– I disagree with Andrew on that. Conditions today are very heavy. They have to take into account the health of the athletes. We don’t want frozen fingers. But it’s possible to wait until tomorrow to make a decision.

– The charm is gone

The cold has been a challenge throughout the Olympics in China, but on Saturday it was the wind that really posed a big problem. Stands that should have held TV cameras were scattered about in the press zone.

A constant wind with gusts that can throw you off balance if you’re not prepared. The snow eagle rose from the ground as it exploded.

In particular, it was visible above the stadium area, where athletes would encounter a wall when they rounded the final corner and had to run.

NRK cross-country expert Torgeir Bjørn argues that it’s not the same if you only walk three miles.

– The charm is gone. Five miles is the most prestigious workout at the Olympics, but to achieve that prestige you actually have to walk five miles, says NRK expert Torgeir Bjørn.

He added that the health of the athletes must be prioritized and understand the jury’s decision. But there will be no true five mile king.