SEEFELD/ULRICEHAMN (Dagbladet): Langrennssportens perhaps the most bubbly and snakkesalige performer is French, and named Maurice Manificat.
Ask him a question in the mixed zone, he talks like as long as all the other cross-country skiers have disappeared from the area when the frenchman put a dot, something Dagbladet correspondents have experienced many a time.
Manificat is also one of the sport’s top athletes, not least in the uphill and in ice-skating. Recently, he won a new world cup competition on the 15 km freestyle in Ulricehamn in front of Simen Hegstad Krüger and Didrik Tønseth.
Several times he has had the best etappetid up monsterbakken in Val di Fiemme. Total is 32-year-old with the entire 10 verdenscupseire, 31 pallplasseringer and five mesterskapsmedaljer. With it he has just gone past the legendary Vincent Vittoz’ eight verdenscupseire and 26 pallplasseringe.
Manificat has been the French langrennsløper. To Dagbladet he tells us about his eternal battle against Norwegian rivals and friends.
– Norway is Norway
He is struggling to point on who he fears most in the world cup.
CHASING MEDALS: Maurice Manificat (t.v.), here after the OLYMPIC games-the bronze at the lagsprinten together with Richard Jouve, hunt new medals in the world CHAMPIONSHIPS in Seefeld. Photo: REUTERS/Dominic Ebenbichler Show more
– It is Klæbo. It is sundby’s time. It is Iversen. It is Krüger. It is the Prize. It is Røthe. It is Holund. Norway is the Norway. You have so many gullkandidater and cards to play on. It is quite wild , says Maurice Manificat to the Newspaper.
The vast Norwegian shores, especially on the men’s side, making sure Eirik Myhr Nossum, Arild Monsen and Vidar Løfshus together can find a balance which makes sure that they get used the whole squad and rested the largest of the stars the bones in the enkeltrenn.
Yet now is both versatile John Høsflot Klæbo and Emil Iversen the way to go for everything except the final femmila, which means that the duo go sprint, skiathlon and lagsprint in the course of åpningsdagene Thursday to Sunday in the world cup.
Warns Klæbo and Iversen
Several of the foreign rivals am baffled over the fact that Norway does not allow Klæbo and Iversen rest to lagsprinten, although they also are gullkandidater on the skiathlon-event. The same is also a reserve and an olympic champion at the distance, Simen Hegstad Krüger.
” Norway has so many and take off. Although Klæbo and Iversen can be strong enough to withstand such a hard konkurranseprogram, Norway to many other insert that can fight for the gold. The withdrawal is difficult, ” says Manificat to the Newspaper.
JOHAUG-SPECIAL: Karstein Johaug talk with Dagbladet Øyvind Godø about sister Therese Johaugs comeback, the family, and how her sister has a plan to win gold at the world CHAMPIONSHIPS in February. Video: Kristoffer Løkås Show more
– In our team there is enough of a different plan than in Norway. I went lagsprinten in the OLYMPICS, but makes it unlikely in the year. It takes very much to go skiathlon the day before, so even in our team, with less width than in the Uk, it is a difficult dilemma and a hard discussion about whether I should go to both, or whether we should give priority to two of our very good sprinters with healthy bone.
Decision will probably be taken in the last second. Iversen and Klæbo should consider carefully whether it is worth to use the powers of the skiathlon when there are so many good reserves ready in bakhånd, believes the frenchman.
Manificat is fascinated by the Norwegian banks and the fight to go on the team.
Are you Norway’s largest langrennsekspert? the
20 000 in the pot
– I can only imagine how the discussion is in Norway with Klæbo and Iversen, who can fight for medals at all distances. They are so strong. Iversen won so easily fellesstarten in the Tour de Ski. He is that Northug was before.
at the same time, I think Klæbo can get to both the skiathlon and lagsprint, even if it is two days in a row. He is very young and strong. Iversen also. He is a winner when he is in form.
– We are not rid of Northug yet
The French langrennstjerna compares both Iversen and Klæbo with Petter Northug and his avslutningsegenskaper. Manificat has tremendous respect for the athlete Northug and also good sense of umbrian.
– We are not rid of Petter Northug yet. Although he has put up, he will continue to swirl in the environment. He will still create headlines through all the sick he does and says and be written about. Northug will not disappear, ” says Manificat to the Newspaper.
Can you beat your friends, rivals, cross-country skiers, and experts in the Fantaski?
the Newspaper, and Swix launches a new manager games for cross-country skiing. Here you can set up your own team consisting of six girls and six boys in front of each verdenscuprunde. You get points based on how your athletes are performing.
the Game passes the entire season, but you win prizes each and every round.
here
pete has been amazing to compete with. A fantastic athlete and a pop star in our sport. It is only to thank him for all the good experiences.
Even had the frenchman a heavy start to the season. The attentive langrennsentusiast leave enough notice that Manificat not asked to start, neither in verdenscupåpningen in Ruka or subsequent weekend in Lillehammer and only went one verdenscuprenn before the Tour de Ski.
– I’m not that Johnsrud sundby’s time
Now tells the 32-year-old why.
– Why competed in sesonginnledningen?
– Because I was completely out of shape. The body worked great until summer, but then I started to struggle. I was very tired after the Toppidrettsveka and had a bad back. I lost a lot of training and had not done what I should. I struggled and was completely out of shape, tells Manificat to the Newspaper.
Klæbo-litter can exceed Northug-litter: – Have not experienced anywhere else!
my Coach said: “You are 32 years old. You are older than you were before. You have to build up slowly, but surely.” I’m not like Martin Johnsrud sundby’s time. I’m not stable in the top in every race. I have to choose my races wisely and give priority to hard. There have been some heavy moments, but when you win and comes on the podium, weigh it up for all the evil.
Gullsjansene
the Trails in the mellomhøyden in Seefeld to suit Manificat good. Although drømmedistansen.
15 kilometers freestyle is not on the program this time, the frenchman great ambitions in the world cup.
– I like traseene in Seefeld. They fit me quite well. I thrive in mellomhøyde and height. I am confident, and have faith to get into something big there, ” says Manificat.
– What is your best medaljemulighet in the world cup?
My best medaljesjanse is enough 30-kilometer skiathlon. It is a good distance for me and is the main goal. Femmila is another very good opportunity for me. I will also fight on the 15 km classic and so clearly relay. We have a strong team.
Manificat put the coffee in the throat when he read what Northug had said: – He is crazy
