MOSCOW, February 21 Norwegian skier Johannes Klebo said he did not issue ultimatums regarding the shortening of the marathon distance at the Beijing Olympics, and that the decision was made by the International Ski Federation (FIS) and not by anyone else. The marathon distance of the race was shortened from 50 kilometers to 28.4 due to severe weather conditions. Yury Borodavko, head coach of the Russian national cross-country skiing team, told reporters earlier that the proposal to reduce the distance of the marathon came from the Norwegian delegation, since Klebo gave them an ultimatum. The head of the Russian Ski Racing Federation, Elena Vyalbe, also stated that Klebo refused to run in a 50-kilometer mass start until the distance was shortened.
