Photo: Bildbyrån
Petter Northug has had Vasaloppet as one of the season’s big goals.
Now it is clear that he misses it this year, because of a boring reason.
“There were some horrible days with toa visits, rash and fever,” he tells Norwegian TV2.
With its 13 World Cup gold and two Olympic golds are Petter Northug39, one of the absolute largest ever in cross -country skiing. The Norwegian actually ended his career as early as 2018 and has worked as a TV expert and with his own projects since then, but he has also competed in long races for the past two years. This year he also aimed to get to the home World Cup in Trondheim in cross-country skiing.
Petter Northug misses Vasaloppet
The second big goal of the season was to perform well in Vasaloppet, a competition that Northug has been burning for several years. He has gone twice before. In 2023 he came 48th and last year he was in 18th place. This year the hope was that things would be even better. But sadly it will not be the Vasaloppet for Northug on Sunday, March 2.
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The Norwegian has been at high altitude camps in St Moritz to train hard for the race. Now all the work is in vain. He has become ill.
– I felt there was a little illness going on. When I came down, I was diagnosed with the Norovirus. There were some horrible days with toa visits, rashes and fever, he tells Norwegian TV2.
Northug is allowed to invest in the TV role instead
A start on Sunday is unthinkable for Petter Northug. In addition, it looks like he can miss the other part of the Norwegian championships. He is simply too affected by the disease.
– It’s hard to say, but as it is now, the body is not close to being able to go cross -country skiing, he says.
Read more: New message about Petter Northug – does not want to join the World Cup
Nor will there be anything at home in Trondheim for the 39-year-old. He had, as I said, the goal of being with – preferably in a team sprint with Johannes Hösflot Kläbo – But he was not selected because of the fierce competition in the Norwegian national team. To be honest, he was never really close. It was probably more a wish on his part. Now he is allowed to be a guest in TV2’s evening broadcasts during the World Cup. He has previously gone out and confirmed that he will not be an expert, but he is up to date in another role.
– It will be a nice patch on the wounds, he says.
Surely it would have been fun to see Petter Northug in the Vasaloppet this year?! Will you miss him? He is a real profile that you lack in the sport. He knew how to tease gall fever on all Swedes.
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