–Norwegian superstar Petter Northug has his own customized pair of skis from Fischer, emblazoned with his name and his country’s flag. Check ’em out here—they’re reminiscent of the custom bikes made for professional cyclists.
–The Norwegian support staff put on a waxing clinic for the media in advance of this weekend’s racing—they’re probably hoping to avoid what happened last year after the first race of the Olympics, where the press blamed the team’s wax staff for destroying the men’s medal hopes.
–According to the Swedish site Langd.se, one of the coaches suspended by the Russian Ski Association in response to repeated anti-doping rules violations was the squad’s former head coach, Yuri Charkovsky.