this year was new and I was in Piteå for a part in the reportageserien if Charlotte is known as the way towards the OLYMPICS. Petter Northug also tried to get there. It was why he was in Piteå, sweden, to compete.
He came 48th. In the Scandinavian cup.
Afterwards, he left the competition area without saying a word. Jumped in the car, pulled away, and I wrote that it was probably Northugs the last race, it might have been the end we saw there.
His OLYMPIC dream cracked where the day and now in the middle of december, he says that elitkarriären is over.
When he was greatest, he was bigger than his sport. People who hardly knew what skiing was had, however, heard of Petter Northug.
that top athletes need most of all – feelings. He won in a way, he was in a way that did not leave anyone indifferent. And the way Petter went on, they tried to young copy.
Petter Northug has one of skidhistoriens most brilliant careers, but also one of the most remarkable.
After that, in young years have not been the best operated he long of a revanschlust to show the world that he could be there.
He has gone his own way. Running his own tracks. And his unique ability to be the best when it comes to have in large parts of their career, struggled against the problems to find the motivation to put down the training that is required.
In the new book ”My story,” says Northug to the fight been going on since his successful world CUP in Oslo 2011. It is remarkable that he was as old, 25 years old, Bjorn Borg was when he took his first break from tennis.
the progress report of the existence as described in the book of Northug. In one place:
”cross country Skiing is not the most important thing in life, but for me it is everything.”
And in another place will see the baby and his dad back on the journey petter’s successful career has taken them on. Dad John says:
”After all, it was perhaps not worth it.”
Petter Northug was at its best when the races were as tråkigast. Masstarterna had taken over, but the tough, early utbrytningarna was yet the exception. The races were long distances and eventually won the Petter Northug in a sprint.
It looked easy. The best always get the most difficult to see easily. If it had been easy to always make sure to have the right position for the run-up and then get to the speed that was required – then had more done to it.
a star that the sport lacked. Grumpy and headstrong as old-time heroes. Cocky and confident as the modern, original Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Sweden.
the Sport needed to Petter Northug that Petter Northug had to Sweden.
He needed the swedes as the extra motivationsfaktorn. It was the swedes, he most of all wanted to beat. Whether they called Jönsson, Peterson, Hellner or Halfvarsson. It was just Johan Olsson, he showed a clear respect and admiration for.
It is typical that Northug lays of the at the same time as Swedish spain is down in the basement and looking for solutions.
It was to Sweden he fled after fyllekörningen 2014 (parents had bought with favoritpålägget Kalles Caviar) and it was in Sweden, he dominated the world CHAMPIONSHIPS in 2015.
After fylleskandalen was his career and his reputation on the games. He bet everything and won most of the time in Falun. Not least, the final femmilen.
the last great gold, his last successful championships. The season was also the only really successful after he left the national team and even more gone his own way in the summer of 2013.
On his own, he was able to unleash their tjurskallighet in full freedom. It was it which destroyed his career.
There was no one who could slow down and say stop when Petter Northug in the preseason after preseason trained wrong or too hard. In the autumn was Northug back in the Norwegian sprintlandslaget but his time was over.
And even if it was here on Wednesday, he left the sport so has the great skidscenen been without Petter Northug for a good while. The loss has been clear.
Petter Northug finishes his career
”He angered many” – so remember the Swedish rider Petter Northug
Petter Northugs career in pictures
Northug: ”Obsessions became a part of it that motivated me.”
