Weng Family Makes Christmas Arrangements

Weng Family Makes Christmas Arrangements

Heidi Weng's sister is taking her son out of kindergarten before Christmas to prevent the cross-country skiing star from getting sick during family gatherings. Weng, like many of Norway's other skiing stars, has sacrificed numerous Christmas celebrations at home in favor of altitude training and Tour de Ski preparations.

However, this year will be different. The 33-year-old athlete has decided to sit at the dinner table at home on Christmas Eve. To ensure that Enebakk's local girl doesn’t fall ill, adjustments are being made in the Weng family.

"Now my sister has a two-year-old at home, so he should be kept out of kindergarten just before Christmas. This year I will celebrate Christmas at home, and I am really looking forward to it," Weng said while meeting the press at Beitostølen last weekend.

Weng emphasizes the importance of these arrangements.

"It means a lot. One year, when I was supposed to participate in the Tour de Ski, I had stomach flu beforehand and was isolated from everyone. I sat alone on Christmas Eve, and that is not an option this year. It was a boring Christmas Eve, so now I will be home," Weng smiled.

Prioritizing to celebrate Christmas at home rather than in Central Europe might prevent Weng from participating in the Tour de Ski this time.

"It’s a bit difficult. I’ve mostly competed in the Tour de Ski since 2011, so it’s hard to skip it. At the same time, I need to miss some races to have a few training periods at home. My goal is to compete in everything before Christmas, and then I'll take it from there," Weng explained.

Making Choices

Weng's decision is also complicated by the fact that the traditional tour is followed by World Cup rounds in Les Rousses, Engadin, and Cogne—locations that are all at high altitudes.

"They've set the schedule up a bit challengingly this year. There are many World Cup events at altitude after the Tour de Ski. If I’m to have any involvement there, I need to stay away for a bit, and I’m not sure I’m ready for that," Weng said.

National team coach Sjur Ole Svarstad confirmed to NTB that adjustments are indeed being made to Weng's seasonal plan this winter to allow her to be home more than before. "It's important to conserve energy and ensure she can still perform well during training."

In the last few seasons, Weng has faced challenges that she perhaps didn’t encounter in her youth, but Svarstad believes she is handling them better now.

Weng knows she faces a significant season with the World Championships in Granåsen approaching, further emphasizing her desire to stay focused on the present rather than stressing about upcoming competitions.