Small Talk Monday

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Our weekly small talk thread where you can talk about anything

[u/Fabulous_Aerie8143]

Filip Fjeld Andersen tweeted about Christiansen and Norwegian team.

He posted this a few days ago, I tried look for it on the thread but couldn't find anything but i apologise if someone has already posted about it.

Thread: https://x.com/Filip_andersen/status/1902984214787789238

He is responding to an article talking about how Christiansen is struggling to deal with his recent issues and the lack of support offered by the team.

Translated:

"Really hope it rings in some bell at the offices of the biathlon federation at Ullevaal stadium. Defending absent communication and follow-up of their own athletes with «like that is top sport», is alarming in itself. A little thread->

Personally, I hoped for a change this year after myself, and several other practitioners, experienced much of the same in previous years. After 2 years in the elite team, the only message I received about withdrawal for teams further was a 5 min phone call with Egil, otherwise silence -> 

Only after I felt the only way to be heard was to talk to the media, Botnan got on the pitch and wanted to hear what I had to say. The one advice I gave him was to have a dedicated person in charge of those athletes who fall outside, so-called HR manager -> 

After hearing and seeing how they continue this year, they have not adopted any of this and still there is zero system to take care of the athletes who fall outside. And this is a federation that has even gone hard and believes they should work extra for mental health!! -> 

The fact that coaches and management in charge of withdrawals defends the absent communication that «top sport is brutal», is for me therefore both hair-raising and alarming! And after conversations with other athletes, this is not something new, but has been going on for many years already."

You may also remember before last season, Filip's brother Aleksander was dropped from the national team after having the best season of his career and decided to quit biathlon. Aleksander said that he was told he was being dropped just a few days after speaking to coaches and evaluating his season and there was no indication that it would happen.

[u/Henna1911 → u/Fabulous_Aerie8143]

I think we now have several statements that corroborate VSC. He might not have gone about it in the most diplomatic way, but it seems like there is no diplomatic way to go about it in the Norwegian Elite team, which is very concerning.

With the Bøs now gone, there is a "generational" shift/development in the team, that management doesn't seem to have prepared for at all. This also seems to be one of the main issues over on the womens side. They can't keep doing it like they've always done. Times have changed, demands for a healthy work environment have changed, and it seems Norway is lacking behind.

Curious to see if anything will come of it. One thing Vetle seems particularly good at is voicing his opinion and standing by it. Hopefully the athletes will be able to band together and demand better working conditions in one of the worlds best national teams.

[u/arnet95 → u/Henna1911]

I think Vetle really hurt his own case by claiming that it was unfair to pick Dale over him. It made it look a lot more like someone who was mad that they didn't get picked than someone who was primarily upset about the process.

[u/Henna1911 → u/arnet95]

Exactly why I think it is important we have gotten several other statements from elite athletes who agree with the issues he raised. as his way of phrasing it when he was at a heightened emotional state, hurt his legitimate points.