Cross-country skiing : a first in the national team for Jan Thomas Jenssen
Thanks to his good results last winter, with three podium finishes in the World Cup, 29-year-old Norwegian Jan Thomas Jenssen has found his place in the Norwegian A group for the first time. It’s a major step forward for his career, allowing him to approach his preparations with greater peace of mind, with his sights set on the Milan/Cortina 2026 Olympic Games.
“The biggest difference is that here I get paid to ski, I don’t have to pay to take part in things. I don’t earn a lot of money being a cross-country skier, but now I have a bit more financial freedom,” the Norwegian tells VG.
The native of Trondheim (Norway) took the opportunity of his interview with VG to look back at his World Championships on home soil. He recalls his fourth place in the skiathlon and recalls his tears.
“It was an overwhelming experience. I wish I’d had a tent that day, just to be alone. It wasn’t that easy to hide. There were cameras everywhere and I had to go through the press zone,” recalls the Scandinavian two months later, still moved when he recalls that moment. But now he’s determined to get his revenge in Italy next February : “At the Olympics, I need to recover a few metres, and then I’ll win a medal.
To achieve his goal, he is counting on his summer training with his new team-mates. Jan Thomas Jenssen wants to train more with Even Northug, Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo and Andreas Fjorden Ree, who all hail from Trondheim (Norway) and the surrounding area and race for the national team.
“There’s a good training environment in Trondheim, but I’ve never trained with them much before, so I’m hoping for good cooperation.”
Read also
- Cross-country skiing: Norway’s national team selection for the 2025/2026 training season
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