Cross-country skiing: Paal Golberg turns up the heat at 34
Paal Golberg did not have a 2024/2025 season that will live long in his memory. Performing poorly on the cross-country skiing World Cup circuit, the Norwegian was still chasing his best form for several months. This Monday, on his Instagram account, the 34-year-old cross-country skier announced that he would be calling time on his career after the Lahti 50-kilometre classic scheduled for this Sunday in Finland.
“It’s going to be a special week for me. On Sunday, I’ll be racing my last race on the circuit. It will be in Lahti, where I took my first World Cup podium 14 years ago,” he confided in an emotional message. I started this winter with the idea that it would be my last. That’s still my view. Even if the season didn’t live up to my expectations, I’m happy to be where I am.
Since his debut in 2007, Paal Golberg has become one of the biggest names in his sport. The Scandinavian has won eleven individual races among the elite, including a small crystal globe in 2023, when he also finished second in the overall rankings after an exceptional season.
At major events, this experienced athlete has often been there. In fact, he has no fewer than four world championship titles to his name, including an individual title in the legendary 50km event at the 2023 event in Planica, Slovenia. That same year, he also took silver in the classic sprint, just ahead of France’s Jules Chappaz.
At theOlympic Games, although he never managed to win the most coveted of metals, the native of Gol (Norway) did win silver in the men’s relay in Beijing (China) in 2022.
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