Transparency & Sources

Event Timeline

All involved

Deep Research

Summary

Based on the scraped content, the core news event can be verified, though some details in the user's question are slightly imprecise. **What can be confirmed:** 1. **The Statement:** Norwegian TV2 expert Petter Skinstad has publicly expressed irritation and criticism regarding the Norwegian Olympic cross-country skiing selections. This is reported by multiple independent sources (Aftonbladet, Expressen, Sweden Herald, BLT, Smålandsposten) [1][4][6][2][7]. 2. **The Selections:** It is confirmed that skiers **Karoline Simpson-Larsen** and **Mattis Stenshagen** were selected for the 2026 Olympics following the Tour de Ski in Val di Fiemme [1][4][6]. 3. **The Waiting Athletes:** Skinstad's criticism specifically concerns the non-selection of **Julie Bjervig Drivenes** and **Emil Iversen**, who were made to wait despite strong results. Julie Bjervig Drivenes is explicitly named as one waiting for her ticket [1][2][4][7]. 4. **The Expert's Reasoning:** Sources provide direct quotes from Skinstad, arguing that both athletes' results (e.g., Drivenes's performances since the season opener, Iversen's podium finishes) clearly merit selection [1][4][6]. 5. **Context:** The reports are consistent on the context: the selections were announced after the Tour de Ski finale in Val di Fiemme (Jan 2026), with remaining team spots to be filled after the Norwegian Championships in mid-January [1][4]. **What is uncertain or conflicting:** 1. **Athlete's Name:** The user's question mentions "Mattis Stenshage**n**," while some sources (like the initial BLT snippet) use "Stenshage." The dominant spelling in the full articles is **Stenshagen**, which is likely correct [1][4]. 2. **Number of Athletes:** The user's description says "two Norwegian skiers" are waiting, which matches the main focus (Drivenes & Iversen). However, one source (Expressen) adds a third name, **Kristin Austgulen Fosnæs**, to Skinstad's list of those wrongly overlooked [6]. This indicates a minor discrepancy in the scope of his criticism. 3. **Official Statement:** There is no scraped official statement from the Norwegian ski federation (Norges Skiforbund) or team manager Per Elias Kalfoss responding to the criticism. One source notes that Kalfoss was sought for comment but not reached, with the federation referring to the original selection press release [6]. **Conclusion:** The event is verified. Petter Skinstad's critical reaction to the Olympic selection, the naming of Simpson-Larsen and Stenshagen as selected, and Julie Bjervig Drivenes (along with Emil Iversen) as waiting, are all confirmed by multiple sources. The exact number of athletes Skinstad referenced and the official federation's response are points where details differ or are not fully available.

All sources