PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (Reuters) - The team responsible for waxing Sweden's cross-country skis have apologised to the nation after getting it wrong in Sunday's 4x10km relay, when the defending Olympic champions came a disappointing fifth and bitter rivals Norway took gold.
The waxing of cross-country skis is a mix of science and art, with different kinds of wax used based on the snow temperature and consistency, and the Swedes got it badly wrong as they fell behind in the first two legs and never recovered.
"We want to apologise to Daniel (Rickardsson, who skied the second leg) and Jens (Burman, who skied the first) because we couldn't deliver better, and to the whole team, and the Swedish people," waxing boss Urban Nilsson told Radiosporten.
"We have done a bad job in the waxing cabin, I take responsibility for this as I am the person responsible," he added.
(Editing by Clare Fallon)
