Therese Johaugin the reign ended last spring, when the skiing queen left the race tracks. Norway already had a new superstar ready until difficulties intervened.
Helene Marie Fossesholmia has been hailed as a super promise for a few years already and the expectations only grew when the Norwegian reaped success at the Junior World Championships in Lahti and Oberwiesenthal.
For a while, it looked promising that Fossesholm would become Johaug’s successor, because in the second season, Fossesholm achieved the first World Cup prize of his career in Salpaussellä – at only 19 years old. He had already flashed at the opening of the season in Ruka, being the second fastest in the pursuit sections, and later in the spring, at the World Championships in Oberstdorf, he skied the anchor section in the relay team that won the championship.
But the Norwegian, known for his constant energy and cheerfulness, succumbed to Olympic greed last season and too much training led to problems. The Beijing Games were a big disappointment for Fossesholm and he was forced to end his season after the Olympic Games.
– When you’re used to training every day, mostly twice a day, and when you love training and it’s work, it was a difficult time. But I knew that I absolutely had to take a break, Fossesholm said in Olos, where he returned to real action after a nine-month break from competition.
– My body needed a break, restart and recharge.
Standing still was not easy for Fossesholm, but he stuck to his decision. He hardly practiced at all for four months and missed the first camps of the national team. In June, he was finally able to start working for the upcoming season.
– My motivation was strong, I thought about Planica every day after the Olympics, he confessed.
The potential is not lost
Helene Marie Fossesholm is the responsible coach for Finnish women Jussi Piirainen in my opinion, an interesting skier, because he does better on the free than on the traditional. Fossesholm was already able to ski the international top speed for women at a young age, and at the age of under 18 she managed both sprints and normal distances.
– He has a background in combined, so he has jumped the hill. From there, he has received a quick power output. Although he is a very small athlete (151 centimeters), he can reach really hard skiing speeds and he also has really hard endurance qualities, Piirainen estimates.
Despite its young age, Fossesholm has been in the headlines for a few years now. He came under the media’s eye during the Lahti Junior World Championships, when the Norwegian Ski Federation announced that he had received growth hormone treatment as a teenager due to his short stature.
Fossesholm himself assures that he does not feel pressure from the media or others. Only he himself puts pressure on himself.
Piirainen believes that Fossesholm is the bearer of responsibility, as he has already been able to show his potential.
– Although he has not reached the level he was at his best, that talent or potential has not disappeared from him. He certainly has the potential to be the best skier in the world.
He was also in the national team with Fossesholm for three years Anne Svendsen believes his teammates can handle the pressure on him.
– Last season was really hard for him, but I think he learned a lot from it and it might have been good for him. I believe that in the future or even this season, he can be in a very hard fight, Svendsen assured.
“We are more equal in training”
Fossesholm’s speed has improved as the season has progressed, but the super success has yet to come. Fortunately for him, other skiers have been found in the Norwegian team who have conquered podium positions.
The good results of Norwegian women have been surprising, because even in Norway a crisis was expected.
Öyvind Sandbakk researched Norwegian women’s skiing at the request of the Skiing Association and where it has failed, and was of the strong opinion that Norway has done a poor job with the second best female skiers and the coming year would be challenging.
Based on the results of the early season World Cup, the crisis has at least been postponed, if not even cancelled. Norway is second in the comparison between the countries, only 23 points behind Sweden.
Although the win column still shows zero, the team has achieved three second places and four third places. Of course, the situation is made easier by the fact that the Russian skiers are not included, but absentees are not counted, and Norway has had at least two skiers in the top ten for every competition.
Sjur Ole from Svarstad became the women’s head coach last spring and Stig Rune from Kveen assistant coach. Svarstad has worked in the past as the second coach of the women’s team, and Kveen is well known by Petter Northug as a coach.
The duo has received a lot of praise from their current coaches.
– They have created a good atmosphere, they are always smiling. They are good for the team, Heidi Weng told Urheilu, and also had the same opinion Anne Kjersti Kalvå:
– They have done a great job and the team has a really good spirit. We have fun and everyone just wants to go hard on the track.
According to Anne Svendsen, the new coaches have not brought major changes to the training. Half of the 11 skiers are sprinters, like Svendsen, but some of the sprinters also want to succeed on normal distances.
According to many, a balanced team is useful in training.
– Today, we are perhaps more equal in training. We can benefit from each other and the competition will move us forward, Kalvå estimates.
Need a manager?
– I already miss Therese, we all do, Svendsen admitted at the beginning of the season.
When Marit Björgen ended her great career, Therese Johaug became the queen and leader of Norwegian women’s skiing. Johaug left the racing tracks after last season, but many of the women on the national team say they miss him already.
For Fossesholm, Therese Johaug’s absence has perhaps felt the most, because Johaug has been a role model and idol for Fossesholm. Over the past few years, Johaug has also been a good friend, and they were often roommates on race trips.
“It’s a bit strange that he is no longer in the team, but I still train with him every week and get advice from him. I moved to Oslo in the fall, so now we live close to each other, said Fossesholm from Vestfossen.
Johaug, Björgen, Bente Skari Martinsen… Norwegian women’s skiing has often had one clear leader, but now the leader’s place is vacant. According to the skiers interviewed by Urheilu, the team doesn’t even need a clear number one skier now.
The 31-year-old Weng has been one of the Norwegian team’s successes for a long time, but has often been overshadowed by Björgen and Johaug. Weng, who suffered from corona and a concussion last season, admits that he does not feel like the leader of the team.
– Not really. I am old and have been doing this for many years. I know I have experience with this and years behind me, so I can give others good advice for the World Cup. But they go so hard themselves, Weng noted.
Also, 21-year-old Helene Marie Fossesholm doesn’t want the leader to lean on her shoulders at the moment either, because even though she has been considered one of the most talented skiers in Norway, she has had a very difficult time in the last couple of seasons.
In Fossesholm’s opinion, everyone tries to be a leader in the team in their own way, because everyone wants to ski well during the season and move the team forward.
– Maybe that will be my role one day, maybe not. Time will tell. Right now I’m just focusing on improving myself and training well, said Fossesholm.
– I don’t think we even need to choose anyone, that leader will be found automatically one day when the time comes.