Tore Ovrebo about the honorary award at the sports ceremony: – He denies the rumours:

There was a welcome response after Johan Kaggstad did not receive an honorary award at last year's Sports Gala.

Many had high expectations that the 80-year-old would be honored this year, but it was former Paralympic athlete Kato Zal Pedersen who ultimately walked away with the award.

Many people reacted to the fact that Kaggestad did not receive the award this year either.

– Kato Zal Pedersen is a winner by all accounts. But the fact that Johan Kajstad is still passed over for the honorary award is unbelievable. Note: No one would have reacted if, in the worst case, they had dealt two, wrote Viaplay football expert Lars Tiarnas, among other things. X.

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There's one photo in particular that's sparking post-award reactions.

In a photo from 2016, Sports Gallen's sports director and head of the jury, Tore Ovrebo, is pictured with last year's Honorary Prize winner Marit Breivik and this year's Honorary Prize winner Kato Zal Pedersen.

Ernst Leersveen, long-time TV 2 correspondent and current Nettavisen commentator, shared the following post on X Sunday:

Responds to criticism

Lersveen is one of many who shared a photo of Øvrebø, Breivik and Zahl Pedersen on X – which has sparked speculation once again.

For his part, Kaggestad several times criticized Øvrebø and Olympiatoppen.

in Interview with Aftenposten Among other things, he sharply criticized the Olympic Summit's decision to open its doors during the pandemic to 25 of the top medal candidates at the Tokyo Olympics, while the rest of the country's training centers were forced to remain closed.

Before Dagbladet, Tore Øvrebø denies that any of this influenced the decision not to give Kaggestad the honorary award.

– Johan Kajstad and I were close colleagues at Olympiatoppen from 2004 to 2010. I was his supervisor. All the dialogues between me and Johan had a common goal: the development of top Norwegian sport, Ovrebo wrote in an SMS to Dagbladet.

He also denies that the close professional relationships that link him, as chairman of the jury, to both Breivik and Zahel Pedersen have affected their receipt of the honorary award in the past two years.

– The jury unanimously awarded honorary awards to Marit Breivik and Kato Zahle Pedersen, Ovrebo wrote.

Do you have a comment on the photo of the three of you circulating on social media?

– Refer to the previous answer, Øvrebø Answers.