Petter Northug plans to take part in the traditional Norwegian ski season opening competition in Beitostölen in November for the first time since 2018.
One of the most successful cross-country skiers of all time Petter Northug intends to ski competitively in the coming season as well and to increase his competition calendar from last season.
Northug told Norway’s TV2 that he will take part in the traditional opening competition of the Norwegian ski season in Beitostölen at the end of November. Northug is participating in the sprint of traditional skiing and the ten kilometer race of free skiing.
– I’m looking forward to getting the starting number on my chest again and making a comeback in Beitostölen. It’s been about a year since I was there the last time, Northug said.
The Norwegian competed in Beitostölen for the last time in 2018, when his time at the brightest peak of the sport was already over.
“The body has worked well”
Already during his active career, Northug, 38, was in the headlines due to, for example, drunken messes and reckless traffic behavior. There have been enough scandalous headlines until the last few years, but a couple of years ago he started investing in skiing again and has been training hard this year as well.
After his active career, two-time Olympic champion and 13-time world champion Northug has participated in, for example, demonstration sprints and long-distance races, but now he feels like regular races again.
Last November, Northug was supposed to participate in the competitions organized in Olos, Muonio, but missed them due to a slight injury. Later in the same season, he won the pair sprint silver for his younger brother in the Norwegian championships Even Northug with and finished second in the 20 km race of the Norwegian Ski Cup.
– I want to participate in a few normal cross-country races during the season. The body has been working well lately, and I want a nicer start to the season than last year, Northug talked.