FIS president Gian-Franco Kasper also said he had expected higher crowds, particularly in the cross-country skiing races on the Shirahatayama course. Several newspapers slated the low turnout in headlines: Norwegian Dagbladet called it a scandal, while Swedish Aftonbladet described it as a fiasco.
The low attendance at FIS events, specifically the cross-country skiing races on the Shirahatayama course, led to negative headlines in Norwegian Dagbladet and Swedish Aftonbladet, which described it as a scandal or a fiasco.