These are the answers Therese Johaug is looking for in the 30km race at the Norwegian Championships

Therese Johaug
Therese Johaug says she is nervous for the 30-kilometer race on Saturday. She is seeking answers to several things in what is an important step towards a World Championship comeback.
Therese Johaug says she is nervous for the 30-kilometer race on Saturday. She is seeking answers to several things in what is an important step towards a World Championship comeback.

According to Langrenn.com, Therese Johaug is open about the temptation of the World Championships on home soil, that she trains systematically, and that especially the 50-kilometer race in Trondheim is tempting. On Saturday, she will compete in the 30-kilometer race during the second part of the Norwegian Championships in Lillehammer, specifically with the thought of an official comeback.

Read more: Therese Johaug makes a comeback at the Norwegian Championships

“I want to know where I stand a bit, and what training I may need. I’ve trained well, but I feel like I’ve been a bit in the dark when I don’t quite know where I am,” Johaug tells NRK the day before the 30-kilometer race, elaborating:

“I’m nervous. I’ve trained well, and in terms of capacity, I have done a lot of tests on the treadmill and some on the roller ski treadmill. But it’s the technical aspect I’m most curious about. Skiing at high speed on snow and skis, I lack training in that.”

On March 3, Johaug competed in the 17-kilometer freestyle race, Engadin Frauenlauf, her first ski race since winning the Skarverennet in April 2022. She beat her former arch-rival Justyna Kowalczyk by over three and a half minutes. It definitely left her wanting more and fueled her comeback process.

Therese Johaug trains systematically and purposefully. Here on the treadmill at the Fjordium Performance Institute.

Sundby: “Should be worried”

Many are eager to see how Therese Johaug will perform in competition with some of the world’s best cross-country skiers.

Not least her former national team colleague Heidi Weng, who won gold in the 5-kilometer race on Friday. There, the 32-year-old was the only one from the elite national team on the podium. A junior biathlete who doesn’t even compete in classic skiing took silver.

Martin Johnsrud Sundby also believes that it is competitors who should be most worried.

“They should obviously be. She became a mother less than a year ago. Yes, she has trained a lot along the way, but it’s something completely different from racing,” he tells NRK, adding:

“I think Therese probably has more control than she lets on.”

When do you have to decide?

“During the spring or summer, I have to make a final decision. It has to feel 120 percent both physically and at home. If I’m stressed about both, it will only be half-hearted on both fronts.”

Johaug has the same team around her that supported her during her active career: her brother Karstein Johaug and Pål Gunnar Mikkelsplass, and the 35-year-old regularly trains with both Weng and several other national team skiers.

So, on Saturday, Therese Johaug will compete in the 30-kilometer race at the Norwegian Championships, searching for answers regarding her physical condition.

The greatest Norwegian Ski Championships of all time

Never before have so many participated in a Norwegian Ski Championships. With about 950 participants in Friday’s races, where juniors also get to compete, the previous record from Lygna in 2019 has been shattered: There were 719 participants.

For many, especially juniors, the Norwegian Championships are a unique opportunity to measure themselves against the world’s best cross-country skiers and are also one of the few chances to showcase themselves on TV.

For the Ski Federation, which has long struggled with a dwindling economy, the increase in participation in the Norwegian Championships is a gift.

“This is fantastic. We are completely dependent on recruiting well for the top level of Norwegian cross-country skiing, and this is a big victory for our talented ski clubs in all our ski districts,” says Cathrine Instebø, managing director of cross-country skiing in the Norwegian Ski Federation in a press release, emphasizing that the exposure the championship receives is invaluable for the sport of cross-country skiing.

“The visibility we achieve through NRK this week is also of great importance to us. The Norwegian Ski Championships have become a fantastic TV product with a full day of broadcasting on NRK both Friday and Saturday, in addition to the team sprint in prime time on Thursday just before the evening news. This is important for the interest in cross-country skiing.”

See below the complete program for the Norwegian Championships Part 2.

FACTS Norwegian Championships Part 2 

  • When: Thursday, March 21 to Saturday, March 23, 2024
  • Who: Cross-country skiers
  • Where: Lillehammer, Norway

PROGRAM

Thursday, March 21: Team Sprint Classic (Start lists, details and results)

  • 15:00 CET: Team Sprint C, Qualify
  • 18:00 CET: Team Sprint C, Finals

Friday, March 22: 5km/10km Individual Start Classic (Start lists, details and results)

  • 10:20 CET: 5km C, Women
  • 13:10 CET: 10km C, Men

Saturday, March 23: 30km/50km Individual Start Freestyle (Start lists, details and results)

  • 9:30 CET: 30km F, Women
  • 12:35 CET: 50km F, Men

Are you interested in traditional cross-country skiing? Click HERE and read more. 

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