Cross-country skiing: Norway’s cross-country skiing star Northug is not in Pyeongchang

According to biathlon icon Ole Einar Björndalen (43), Norway’s poorly formed cross-country skiing star Petter Northug (32) will not be able to compete at the Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang (9th place). till 25. February). This was announced to Tore Övrebö on Wednesday at a press conference:”He was often ill, only a few races were run. And when it took off, it wasn’t that fast. And so he’s not on the team in the end.”

The decision comes as no surprise. Northug, double Olympic gold medallist of 2010, had not made it to Norway’s World Cup team after a disappointing 2016/17 season. At his only World Cup appearance in the Olympic Winter he was only 32 in Lillehammer. have become. He had missed his last chance to qualify in Planica because of a cold.

In Pyeongchang, Norway will be competing without its eight-time biathlon Olympic champion Ole Einar Björndalen (44), who failed to qualify after six previous starts. In addition, seven-time cross-country skiing world champion Therese Johaug (29) is missing due to a doping ban.