Drunken brawls mar cross-country race in Norway

Reuters

Mar 9, 2024, 12:13 PM ET

The 50-kilometer women’s classic cross-country race in and around Oslo’s famous Holmenkollen stadium Saturday was marred by drunken brawls among the spectators.

Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported that several fights broke out, with some fans storming the barriers toward the ski slope and falling over a fence there.

“There was fighting, and there was also lashing out against the police,” Oslo Police said.

In total, 130 people ages 16 to 20 required assistance from the Red Cross station in the area because of either injuries or intoxication, a Red Cross manager was reported as saying.

The race was won by Sweden’s Frida Karlsson, who did not notice the spectacle but was booed as she approached the finish line.

“It was certainly ungrateful. I just felt, ‘Can’t you just feel sorry for me, please?’ I wasn’t feeling so good towards the end,” she said with a smile.

Swedish skier Moa Lundgren told the newspaper Expressen that she had sensed a boozy atmosphere as she raced.

“It really smelled of alcohol and something sweet out on the track,” she said.

“It was a naval battle,” she added, using a common Scandinavian expression for drunken chaos.