Norwegian cross-country skiing great Petter Northug may be seen competing in an Austrian ski suit in the future.
Mika Halonen,
STT Sports
Skiing legend, who recently enjoyed himself as a TV commentator Petter Northughas publicly said that he is aiming for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
In order to succeed in his plans, Northug has assured that he is planning to get another country’s passport, because there are enough current peaks in Norway and the road to the prestigious competitions is blocked.
Sometimes the two-time Olympic champion and 13-time world champion has talked about Liechtenstein and sometimes about Austria.
Northug, 39, ended his active career already in 2018, but this week he has flashed his skiing fitness at the Norwegian championships.
On Thursday, the Austrian Ski Federation confirmed its position on the rumors that have been circulating for a long time. The Austrian federation said that it would cooperate with the skiing giant to get him to represent Austria.
– We will discuss this issue with the Norwegian Skiing Association during the World Championships. We have also forwarded the information about Petter’s intention to the Austrian Ministry of Sports, the communications director of the Austrian Ski Association Markus Aichner said according to VG magazine.
Northug has hinted that he is aiming for the 2026 Olympics and the 2027 World Championships. To represent Austria, he needs the country’s citizenship.
– Applying for citizenship is more complicated than people think. For example, representing Liechtenstein was not possible. Representing Austria is, and they can make this happen, Northug said Wednesday after skiing 10 kilometers at the Norwegian championships.
Northug finished eighth in the men’s decathlon. In the sprint competition organized on Thursday, he was 43rd in qualifying, so the heat stage remained a dream.