Åge Skinstad warmly welcomes Therese Johaug, but does not intend to contact the retired superstar. The women’s 50 kilometers will be the final event of the World Championships in 2025.
Åge Skinstad was on the terrain of Trondheim’s ski stadium, or Granåsen, on March 2, 1997, as an expert for Norwegian television, when Mika Myllylä screamed the full stand at the 50 km (p) world championship.
One week and 28 years later, Skinstad, who reached the World Cup level as a skier, will be in the newly built stadium as CEO of the World Cup in Trondheim, when next winter’s World Cup will culminate in the first women’s 50 km (v) race at the prestigious level.
The most interesting question right now around this trip is whether the person who quit and had a child last year will return in spring 2022 Therese Johaugthen 36, to culminate his career in Trondheim.
Close relationship
Åge Skinstad admits that the idea is very intriguing.
He worked as the sports director of the Norwegian national team in 2007, when Johaug, at only 18 years old, rose to the elite group and became a World Cup medalist in Sapporo.
In Skinstad’s final qualifying competition, the World Championships in Falun 2015, Johaug won three gold medals. The two know each other very closely.
– In no way do I expect Therese to do anything, let alone present anything in public that could be interpreted as pressure. But sport is also about dreaming, Skinstad, who worked as CEO of the ski equipment manufacturer Swix, commented to Urheilu.
Not a single woman
The managing director reminds that in a country like Norway, the World Ski Championships are a sure ticket sales success.
Especially when the province of Trondelag, which produces the country’s best winter athletes, has not hosted the prestigious event for almost three decades.
– Johannes Hösflot Kläbo, Jarl Magnus Riiber or Halvor Egner Granerud are very attractive names. With Therese, the competition project and its finances will not rise or fall, but her participation would of course be a gigantic bonus.
It is noteworthy that even the optimistic CEO did not include a single female skier in his list. On interview day, Sunday, Norway had its worst relay result since the 2006 Oberhof World Cup.
In this view, Johaug would even be a vital goal-setter for Norway in Trondheim.
It is clear that Johaug will return to the World Cup level only if he is sure of his chance to compete for the gold medal.
Symbolic meaning
– Granåsen’s new tracks suit his characteristics perfectly, there’s no question about that. The length of the journey is not a problem for him.
Johaug achieved her first individual race victory in Norway’s previous race, the World Championships in Oslo 2011, when she won the women’s then final distance of 30 kilometers (v) by running away from herself in the mass start From Marit Björgen.
– Of course, it’s a great idea that he would do the same 14 years later on the final day of his second World Cup at home (March 9). But the decision is 100 percent his and his family’s, says Skinstad.
Nousiainen believes in Johaug
Sports expert Ville Nousiainen I wouldn’t consider the world top level from Johaug to be a miracle at all.
– The bottom is so icy, and I bet that after finishing, he considered himself hard at times. There would certainly be a very big financial incentive to return, but there is already enough in the account that the fire decides everything, not the money. Whether there is fire or not. It will be resolved next summer.
– The Trondheim track will probably have heavy blisters in March, so oxygen intake and the ability to grind with tired muscles will be decisive in the fifty. Like a tailor’s job for Johaug.
After starting a family, Marit Björgen returned for the 2017 and 2018 seasons to seal her career with great success and competed a lot. Nousiainen thinks Johaug’s possible return is more of a specific project.
– He would compete just as much as optimizing the World Championship condition would require and would certainly not set any other real goals. Suddenly, you could bet that he would ski the skiathlon and relay at the World Championships before he turned fifty.