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Petter Northug Jr

Bonus episode: Hear us interview Petter Northug Jr. on the Holmenkollen

Oh, you thought we were done? Nat had the chance to interview Norwegian cross-country skiing legend Petter Northug Jr. for his story for the New York Times about the Holmenkollen ski marathons. Rather than leave the audio on the cutting room floor, we thought we’d share it with you. Sorry about the audio quality and the frequent interjections from Nat, but this was not originally intended as podcast-quality material — turn it off if you must. And:...

A Major Setback For Petter Northug Jr.: Retired Skier Arrested for Speeding and Drug Possession

Widely reported in the Norwegian press over the weekend, former Norwegian ski star Petter Northug Jr. (34) was stopped for speeding by police in Romerike, Norway. Northug was suspected of driving while intoxicated and was taken to a hospital for a blood test.  The speeding incident occurred last Thursday while the police confirmed on Saturday Northug was the driver in question and had been cooperative.  Northug’s arrest for speeding and and pending toxicology report weren’t...

Race-cation: Erik Bjornsen and Marine Dusser on Iceland and the Fossavatn Ski Marathon

While many skiers were blowing the dust off of their rollerskis, hitting the track or trail, or looking for crust to cruise on May 1st, Erik Bjornsen and his wife Marine Dusser were previewing the race course for the Fossavatn Ski Marathon, or Fossavatngangan, in Isafjördur, Iceland.    While it might seem odd to begin a new season by racing a 21 k followed by a 42 k just two days later, Bjornsen and Dusser...

Becoming Northug

(Some details and insights in this story come from a book recently published in Norwegian, Min Historie: Northug as told by Petter Northug to Jonas Forsang. This piece was written by twenty-one-year-old Maks Zechel, a Canadian cross-country skier living and training in Norway.)   *** Arguably the greatest male cross country skier of all time. Certainly the most sensational. Undeniably the skier who has changed the sport more than anyone else. There never has been,...

“It was just full speed to the finish and I am not stopping until the finish line now,” Johannes Høsflot Klæbo told the International Ski Federation (FIS) after his victory in Stage 6. With the 45 bonus seconds he gathered from his win in both the overall event and the bonus sprint in yesterday’s 15-kilometer classic race, Klæbo entered the final Stage of the 2018/2019 Tour de Ski with a bit of insurance on his...

Petter Northug jr.; The Curtain Closes on the Champion’s Show

  It is accurate, the way time ticks away, to say that it was an eternity ago when Norway’s Petter Northug jr. splashed onto the Word Cup scene to the delight of fans and the paparazzi. According to the International Ski Federation (FIS) data base, Northug stepped to the top of the podium in only his eighth World Cup start. In the 2005/06 season, he placed first in Falun, Sweden’s 2 x 10-kilometer pursuit. There...

Norway’s Petter Northug jr. Retires

On December 12, in Trondheim, Norway, thirty-two-year-old Petter Northug jr. announced his retirement from the sport. Northug won four Olympic medals, two of which are gold. He won 16 World Championship medals, 13 of them gold. He has a total of 38 total wins on the World Cup during his 12 year career, “I have taken a decision to post as a skier. I told myself that I could not use more energy and effort to...

Brandsdal Outduels Klæbo for Drammen City Sprint Win

DRAMMEN, Norway — The stage was set around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday when a homegrown Norwegian made good in front of a spectator-lined 1.2-kilometer classic course smack-dab in the middle of Drammen’s city center. It was a day of contrast that began with blue skies and ended with a deep chill and falling snow as thumping music pounded and the gothic Bragernes Church loomed. In between, the clouds amassed and the classic tracks stayed firmed for...

An Air-Guitar Solo: Harvey Closes Out Championships with 50 k Win

LAHTI, Finland — Here’s the basics: fast and firm tracks, cloudless skies, and once again a stacked field for the final event of the 2017 Nordic World Championships: the men’s 50-kilometer freestyle mass start. Over the course of the 50 k, Canada’s Harvey had to think about one thing: be up front near the top three in order to shadow Norway’s Martin Johnsrud Sundby’s inevitable gut punch in the last kilometer. What he didn’t have...

Sundby Stomps Skiathlon to Move into Third Overall; Canadians Excel at Home

Norway's Martin Johnsrud Sundby won the Ski Tour Canada's brutal Stage 6 skiathlon on Wednesday, putting him third overall in the Tour, while Petter Northug remains in second despite losing precious time to Tour leader Sergey Ustiugov. Canada's Alex Harvey jumped a spot to fourth overall, and his teammates Ivan Babikov and Graeme Killick posted season-best results.

Despite Petter Northug's greatest efforts, he couldn't catch Sergey Ustiugov during Saturday's four-lap 15 k freestyle pursuit in downtown Quebec City. The Russian held Northug off by 17 seconds for the win to keep the Ski Tour Canada leader's bib heading to Canmore, Alberta. Behind them, Alex Harvey outlasted Martin Johnsrud Sundby for fourth place, 44.5 seconds behind Emil Iversen in third.

Double-Pole Victory for Northug in Drammen; Hamilton Top North American in 11th

Norway's Petter Northug showed his versatility as an all-rounder, winning Wednesday's classic sprint in Drammen, Norway. His quick double pole and quicksilver skate skis won out the day. The U.S. Ski Team's Simi Hamilton placed 11th overall while Canada's Alex Harvey posted his second-best sprint result of the season in 20th.

Krogh Rebounds to Win 10 k Skate; Hoffman Skis to 19th in Stage 6

Finn Hågen Krogh knows a lot about ups and downs, and has formed somewhat of a pattern at this year's Tour de Ski. However, the Norwegian had one of his career-best races on Friday, winning the 10 k freestyle by 3.6 seconds ahead of teammate and overall Tour leader Martin Johnsrud Sundby. Noah Hoffman placed 19th to lead the U.S., and Canadian Alex Harvey finished 37th and is now 15th in the Tour.

What Can We Expect from Northug?

By all accounts, Petter Northug’s 2011-2012 campaign was an unexpected failure. The high-profile Norwegian star, who usually finished at or near the top of every podium he contended for, specifically set out to do two things last winter: take the Tour de Ski and win the Vasaloppet. He came up short on both counts; Switzerland’s Dario Cologna and Marcus Hellner of Sweden both beat him in the Tour in first and second, respectively, and a...