After criticism from TV experts
“Know me better”: Olympic champion hits back
12/30/2024 – 8:36 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
Therese Johaug is back in cross-country skiing after a two-year break. But her first few months back on the trails are not quiet.
Cross-country skiing Olympic champion Therese Johaug has defended herself against criticism from her home country of Norway. Former winter athlete Martin Johnsrud Sundby had criticized Johaug for her start in the Tour de Ski. Johaug returned this winter after a two-year break. Sundby couldn’t understand why she was taking part in the strenuous classic with seven competitions in nine days.
“This is a strange setting of priorities,” criticized the OIympia winner on the Norwegian TV station NRK. “She is losing a lot of good training and will have a bad training period before, during and after the Tour de Ski,” the 40-year-old was certain. In his opinion, Johaug should have had a good training period rather than hectic days.
The 36-year-old now replied: “Martin may think that, but I think I know my body better than him.” Johaug had originally planned to skip the Tour de Ski and train. Since she was dissatisfied with her competitive performance before Christmas, she competed anyway. Your goal for the season: to be in top shape at the World Cup at the end of February/beginning of March. “It’s hard for me to imagine that the Tour de Ski is better than rest and training,” believes Sundby.
But Johaug sees it differently. On the NRK microphone she said: “I want competitive training. I want to compete with others. And I can do that if I ski race here. If you only train and train at home, you lose track a bit and become insecure, where you stand in comparison.”
Her first results were mixed: in the sprint on Saturday she only came 40th, but in the mass start on Sunday she came sixth. The next competition for Johaug and Co. is on Tuesday.