Therese Johaug Pulls the 'Emergency Brake' Before the Competition Season

Therese Johaug Pulls the 'Emergency Brake' Before the Competition Season

Therese Johaug has reportedly faced a setback just before the competition weekend in Beitostølen, Norway. Despite this, expert Petter Northug confidently predicts that Johaug will be victorious.

Johaug has taken a break from competitions for the last couple of winters—since the end of March 2022 and following the birth of her daughter, Kristin, in May 2023. Given her status as a three-time Olympic champion and 14-time world champion, her return to the competitive scene has drawn keen attention in Norway this autumn.

In the fall, Johaug announced to a Swedish outlet that she would only return to competitive skiing for this season and will not participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

During a recent training session in wintery Beitostølen, Johaug admitted, "I had to pull the emergency brake."

She has always wanted to perfectly balance her life, which in practice means integrating intensive training with family life. Johaug has explained that managing two training sessions a day alongside caring for her daughter proved overwhelming, pushing her overall load beyond her limits.

The incident occurred a couple of weeks ago. Johaug shared, "The advantage is that I know my body quite well. I was a bit frustrated and bored. It annoys me that I couldn’t foresee this a bit earlier."

Despite the challenges, she has not been immune to tears during her lowest days. Johaug reflected, "It's tough when you invest so much and want to succeed. High-level sports involve ups and downs; if there weren’t downs, the highs wouldn’t be as significant."

Her training primarily targets the 50-kilometer event at the World Championships in Trondheim scheduled for early March. "Everything else that comes is a bonus," Johaug stated firmly.

Predictions from Northug are clear: he believes Johaug will return to her racing with triumph. He expects her to win both of the 10-kilometer races in Beitostølen—one in the classic style on Saturday and the other freestyle on Sunday. "Therese is the favorite and, in my opinion, just as strong as before. She won a test race on rollerskis, and the terrain in Beitostølen suits her excellently," Northug forecasts for the start of the Norwegian skiing season.

Johaug plans to compete in the World Cup opener in Ruka from November 29 to December 1, 2024.