Petter Northug found himself in a crisis.
Then his family received an unexpected call – from Gunde Svan.
– Gunde is a fantastic person, says Petter’s father, John Northug.
Petter Northug is one of the greats of skiing history. He has always been a profile on the sidelines, known for his rapping and acerbic comments to the media and rivals. But his incredible track record is hard to match. Over the years, there were two Olympic golds and a whopping 13 WC golds.
Gunde’s gesture
But the end of the Norwegian star’s career was not what he had hoped for. During his last two seasons as an active player, he had difficulty finding his form, and in the winter of 2018, his last season as an active player, he was sometimes poked at the World Cup, and he was not allowed to go to the Olympics.
But in the middle of the crisis, Northug received unexpected support – from Gunde Svan himself. The Northugs were surprised when it suddenly popped up in a conversation from the Swedish skiing icon, but his gesture proves what an incredible person he really is.
– The only thing I can say is that Gunde cares. That he wants Petter to continue as a skier. Gunde thinks Petter still has a lot left to do, John Northug, Petter’s father, told Expressen.
He then continued:
– Gunde is a fantastic person. You know, there are many people who call when things are going well for someone – but Gunde called now. He simply cares about Petter as a skier.
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A fantastic human being
And there was no doubt at all how much the conversation actually meant to Petter Northug.
– Petter values it very highly! He was very happy that Gunde cares, says John Northug.
It was not clear what tips Petter actually received from Gunde Svan, but it is clear that Gunde Svan cared about Petter and the whole situation.
– First of all, Gunde understands the situation that Petter is in right now. Understands how the thoughts go. What it takes to keep investing.
After Petter Northug finished his career, he and Gunde Svan have appeared on television on several occasions, not least during the program Sweden against Norway, where both were presenters.
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