Cross-Country Skiing: Harald Östberg Amundsen Wins in His First Race After Tour de Ski: 'Was Really Sick'

Harald Östberg Amundsen, a top competitor who last season won both the Tour de Ski and the overall World Cup, had to break off his Tour de Ski campaign this year due to illness. This forced him to miss nearly a month of racing and relinquish his lead in the overall World Cup standings.

After this challenging period – during which he spent a week bedridden – Amundsen worked hard in training with a special focus on the upcoming World Championships. Returning to the World Cup, he first participated in a sprint quarterfinal, and then today, in his first distance race since the tour, he won the 10 km freestyle event by an impressive margin of 11.7 seconds ahead of compatriot Ivar Tildheim Andersen.

"It’s always so much fun – it’s fantastic! Fantastic race, excellent conditions in the tracks, and since it’s my favorite distance, it felt great to show that I’m back," he told SVT Sport. Reflecting on his struggle, he added, "I woke up during the Tour de Ski and was really sick – I had to go home and spent a week on the sofa. It was rough, but perhaps it was good timing before the World Championships."

Amundsen’s comments underline both his determination to compete at the highest level and the challenges athletes face when recovering from illness during an intense competition season.