And the goals were:

- to capture five medals in Salt Lake City
- to have two finishers in the top ten in all events
- to have 6-7 skiers in red group (World Cup)
- to be on the podium in all relays

– We knew that we had set our goals high, but when I sum up I realise that we have achieved almost all of them. I'm, of course, very happy with this, says Samdal to XC-skiing.com.

And, this is what Norway's XC women achieved:

- four medals in Salt Lake City
- two finishers in the top ten, except in the 15 km freestyle
- finished first or second in all relays
- seven skiers qualified for red group next season

– We won the nation's cup for the first time since the early 90s. Our relay team defeated Russia in Davos, and lost the Olympic relay gold to Germany in the finishing straight. Moreover, five Norwegian women have been on the podium once or more this season!

– What about the Olympics?

– With hindsight I think I've found why we didn't do so well there. Our preparations couldn't have been better, but I think some of the skiers pushed themselves too hard during the first camp in Deer Valley. According to the reports I received, they felt sharp and in good health. When they asked me if they could push harder, my answer was yes. In other words, I take full responsibility for what happened after this. Some of our skiers felt very sluggish in the first few competitions in Soldier Hollow. I realise now that we should have held back. I also attribute this to our lack of experience with altitude training. A closer look at the results from the Olympics reveals that the majority of those who did well are "older" skiers with extensive experience from altitude training. Norwegian skiers who intend to succeed in Torino in four years have to gain more experience with training at high altitudes, says Samdal.

- What are your plans for next year?

– We're going to continue with the same programme as last year (Note that Samdal has not signed a new contract with the Norwegian Ski Federation yet). Our preparations start in May with two camps. The first will be a dryland camp with various tests and preparations for the 2002-2003 season. We are also going to spend one week at Sognefjellet for on-snow training and testing of skis, says Samdal to XC-skiing.com.

And he adds:

– We'll cut down on the number of days at altitude.

– Will there be any changes when it comes to freestyle?

– Our results in freestyle competitions have the best in years. That said, the hard work has to continue. In my opinion, the key is to do more intensive roller-ski training in uphill terrain and increased frequency. Moreover, the girls have to improve their basic strenght. But, let's not forget that Bente Skari finished third in a World Cup pursuit this season. She has never done this before, says Samdal who also sees a lot of potential in Anja Veum, Vibeke Skofterud, and Kine Beate Bjørnås.

Samdal also hopes that the "veterans" Anita Moen and Hilde G. Pedersen continue their careers until Val di Fiemme.