“I’m scratching my head”
Two-time Olympic champion Northug amazes
Updated on January 15, 2025 – 3:12 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
15 years ago, Petter Northug became a two-time Olympic champion. The cross-country skier is now 39 years old – and impressed at the Norwegian championships.
28-year-old cross-country skier Henrik Donnestad took victory at the Norwegian championships on Wednesday. However, someone else surprised in the competition: Petter Northug. The two-time Olympic champion from 2010 is now 39 years old and apparently still in great shape. He also took part in the cross-country skiing championships and took eighth place.
Former cross-country skier Martin Johnsrud Sundby, who is an expert on Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, said: “I’m scratching my head.” Because: Northug temporarily took the lead after 8.4 kilometers on the ten-kilometer route. Sundby later explained: “I didn’t expect this, and I don’t think Petter did either. The boy has something special on his mind. This could be really exciting.”
Petter Northug is the most successful Norwegian World Championships cross-country skier with 13 gold medals. He won his last gold medal in 2015. He ended his career three years later. Recently, Northug has repeatedly appeared in sports. In a podcast on the Norwegian television station “TV 2” at the end of last year, he even announced that he wanted to take part in the 2026 Olympic Games again – but for Liechtenstein. Northug said he was seeking citizenship.
“I believe that qualifying for the 2026 Olympics is feasible. I think I have to do it. It would be great to experience the Olympic Games again,” said the Norwegian.
Regarding his good performance on Wednesday, Northug said: “It’s great fun. I’ll keep getting better. Physically there’s still a lot to do.” Northug has recently struggled with injuries. In order to achieve his big goals, the Norwegian needs even better form and practical experience. That’s why he added to “VG”: “I know that I need more races.”