Nordic World Ski Championships to the world?

The Nordic World Ski Championships start on Wednesday. It takes place in Oslo here in Norway. It is a great event. We hope for nice sunny winter weather to show the world how wonderful Norway and in particular Oslo is. And we hope for several gold medals for the Norwegian participants.

But which world do we talk about? What people is it we want to show our Norwegian winter nature? Even though there will be a participant from Kenya, neither the Kenyan people nor the people of most of the world's countries will watch as much as a second of the championships on tv. I have been visiting some of those countries and I found out that they had no clue about any ski championships at all! So those people and that part of the world who will actually watch the championships on tv, they have already watched the Norwegian winter pictures. In several European countries as well as in Japan and some other countries, Holmenkollen is well known.

So let us not forget that this event is for a small minority of the world's people. Does it mean that we shall not enjoy it? No, not at all! Let us enjoy it. But as a Norwegian, do not believe that the tv pictures will reach the world. There are athletes around the world that are far more famous than Marit Bjørgen and Petter Northug. If you read this and you do not know who these two persons are, you are one of the many proofs that what I have written above is correct.

If you enjoy Nordic skiing, have a great couple of weeks ahead! And for the masses of other people in the world, have a great couple of weeks, you too!