Norwegian Skier Throws Up Four Times Before Race, Continues to Compete in Ruka

Jan Thomas Jenssen surprised everyone this year in Ruka. Last year, he was the unexpected winner of the 20-kilometer freestyle mass start race in the World Cup. However, this year he left spectators astonished in a different manner. Prior to the race, Jenssen threw up three times at the ski stadium, and this also happened again at the finish line.

In front of the media, Jenssen vomited three times just before the start of the race, with the last occurrence captured on camera. Despite his vomiting, he finished the race in second place, behind last year's overall cup winner, Harald Östberg Amundsen.

Jenssen was still coughing heavily during Yle's post-race interview and again during the first race. When asked about his feelings regarding the race, he simply stated, "It was tough, the tracks were hard."

According to Jenssen, he vomits before competitions regularly, noting, "I am fine. It’s more about nerves; it’s not dangerous. I am healthy," he added, implying that his condition was not a serious concern.

This kind of reaction on race day isn't unusual in endurance sports, as Yle's ski expert Kalle Lassila explained in an analysis segment. Lassila noted, "It's quite common to react with your stomach during significant events, but those occurrences are rarely seen on camera as they usually happen in restrooms."

Jenssen's finishing position was not surprising, yet its visibility was unique due to television coverage. The extreme effort put forth by the athletes highlights the nature of endurance sports, where pushing oneself to the limit is the norm.

Men's 20 km (freestyle) / Mass Start 1. Harald Ö. Amundsen NOR 46:04.0
2. Jan Thomas Jenssen NOR +0.9
3. Martin L. Nyenget NOR +1.9
4. Mika Vermeulen AUT +2.9
5. Andreas Ree NOR +8.0
6. Simen Hegstad Krüger NOR +8.2
7. Zanden McMullen USA +10.1
8. Gus Schumacher USA +11.3
9. Mathis Desloges FRA +11.6
10. Jules Lapierre FRA +11.9

1. Arsi Ruuskanen FIN +28.9
2. Iivo Niskanen FIN +48.1
3. Remi Lindholm FIN +53.7
4. Lauri Lepistö FIN +1:30.1
5. Lauri Vuorinen FIN +1:31.2
6. Markus Vuorela FIN +1:38.4