Cross-country skiing: Petter Northug Jr wants to take part in the team sprint at the Trondheim 2025 World Championships
For several months now, Norwegian legend Petter Northug Jr has been shouting from the rooftops about his dream of competing in the 2025 cross-country skiing world championships in Trondheim (Norway). Retired from the world circuit for a number of years, the Mosvik Express, who turns 39 next January, wants to experience the big thrill one last time… by taking the start of the team sprint at the Worlds in a duo with Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo.
To form this legendary duo, however, Petter Northug Jr has to show his credentials in order to qualify. And that’s no easy feat in the land of cross-country skiing. A few weeks ago, Eirik Myhr Nossum, the national team coach, said that he did not believe in the chances of the man with 13 world titles.
Petter Northug Jr himself admitted that he only had a one per cent chance of making it this summer. However, as he revealed this Saturday in the columns of VG, he has put a plan in place to qualify. Currently on a high altitude training camp in Italy, he began by explaining that he was feeling “good”. “I’m doing a good job of training properly, he continues. In October, I trained for 80 hours, the first time I’ve done that since 2016!”
Returning to the ramp-up planned for this winter, Petter Northug Jr reveals that it will be a three-stage rocket: the opening races in Beitostølen (Norway) scheduled for 22-24 November, the Scandinavian Cup in Lillehammer (Norway) scheduled for 13-15 December and then the Norwegian Championships in Hamar (Norway) from 15-19 January. For this competition, just over a month away from the World Championships, the Norwegian hopes to be at his best.
- After Therese Johaug, will Petter Northug Jr also be making a comeback?
- Norway coach Eirik Myhr Nossum does not believe Petter Northug Jr will qualify for the Trondheim Worlds
- “31st place doesn’t get you into the Worlds”: Eirik Myhr Nossum puts the pressure on Petter Northug Jr.
- “No one has taken up the torch from Petter Northug Jr”: Martin Johnsrud Sundby points the finger at the next generation of racers
- Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo’s thoughts on Petter Northug Jr’s participation in the Trondheim World Championships
- Petter Northug Jr at the heart of discussions among Norwegian athletes
