Norway’s team to the World Championships in Falun, Sweden, was announced after the 15 k/ 30 k skiathlon at the Norwegian National Championships in Røros today. Norway will send a squad consisting of 11 women and 12 men to the 2015 FIS World Championships, which take place in Falun, Sweden, from February 18 to March 1.
The team includes both favorites from the World Cup circuit so far this season – including the athletes who have dominated the World Cup points and prize money – and a few carefully-taken choices based on more recent results. For instance, both Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen and Kristin Størmer Steira were named to the team after making their World Cup debuts for the season in Rybinsk, Russia, last weekend. Jacobsen won her first start, while Steira placed fifth in her first start after recovering from a double hip fracture this fall.
The Norwegian national championships were a major part of the selection criteria – so important that the national team coaching staff ordered Petter Northug to cut his altitude camp in the Alps short and compete at the championships if he wanted to be considered for the national team that will represent Norway in Falun in February.
The championships opened with 10 k/15 k freestyle races on Thursday, continued with freestyle sprints Friday, skiathlons for both men and women Saturday, and will conclude with relays on Sunday. Besides excellent competition from the Norwegians themselves, the women’s races were spiced up by the presence of Japanese distance specialist Masako Ishida, and the men’s races, as usual, by Andrew Musgrave of Great Britain.
| Competition | 1st place | 2nd place | 3rd place | results |
| Women’s 10 k skate | Therese Johaug | Marit Bjørgen | Heidi Weng | Results |
| Men’s 15 k skate | Anders Glørsen | Hans Christer Holund | Sjur Røthe | Results |
| Women’s classic sprint | Ingvild Flugstad Østberg | Kari Vikhagen Gjeitnes | Maiken Caspersen Falla | Results |
| Men’s classic sprint | Timo Andre Bakken | Sondre Turvoll Fossli | Emil Iversen | Results |
| Women’s 15 k skiathlon | Heidi Weng | Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen | Masako Ishida (Japan) | Results |
| Men’s 30 k skiathlon | Petter Northug | Niklas Dyrhaug | Didrik Tønseth | Results |
Good skiing at the championships could only go so far, though: Hans Christer Holund, a 25-year-old with just a handful of World Cup starts to his name since 2009, placed second in the 15 k skate interval start race. He was not, however, selected for World Championships.