«Exceeds all gold medals»
Ex-cross-country skiing superstar announces baby luck
A year ago she retired from cross-country skiing, now the next big adventure is waiting for Therese Johaug. The Norwegian becomes a mom for the first time.
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Therese Johaug has every reason to smile.
In March 2022, Therese Johaug (34) ended her career and gave up cross-country skiing. Almost a year later, the Norwegian announces good news on Instagram: she and her fiancé Nils Jakob Hoff (37) become parents.
“That’s the greatest thing you can achieve. It beats all the gold medals I’ve won, so to speak,” she told Norwegian broadcaster NRK. Your child should see the light of day in the first half of the year. She is very happy to be a mother, says Johaug. At the same time, it’s also a bit scary because you don’t know exactly what you’re getting yourself into.
Under her post with the good news, Johaug is overwhelmed with congratulations. Her former competitors Jessie Diggins and Frida Karlsson congratulated her, as did biathlete Tiril Eckhoff and ex-skier Nina Haver-Loeseth.
Johaug is considered one of the most successful cross-country skiers in history. “My career was no walk in the park,” she writes in her biography, which was published in 2022. “There have been many and brutal setbacks. But at the same time there were also fantastic moments.”
Strong comeback after doping ban
The absolute low point: In October 2016 she tested positive for Clostebol and was banned for 18 months. The Norwegian Ski Association explained at the time that the substance was contained in a lip cream that the team doctor had bought her during a training camp. Both the doctor who took responsibility and Johaug overlooked the doping notice on the packaging.
Giving up was not an option for the Norwegian. After serving the suspension, she celebrated a brilliant comeback. She became multiple world champion again and won three gold medals at the 2022 Olympic Games. The doping affair made her stronger and more self-confident, said Johaug in retrospect.
Overall, she celebrated 100 World Cup victories (18 of them with the relay) and won 25 medals at World Championships and Olympic Games. 18 of them were golden. Johaug is still involved in cross-country skiing after retiring. She works for Norwegian TV as an expert. (bir)