It will be an unusual premiere for the great Norwegian star. Although in a related, but still different winter sport than the one she is familiar with. It was not for nothing that it was taken as a bit of a coup when the TV 2 station announced that Northug would act as a biathlon expert. Somewhat unusual in Norway and elsewhere…
“There are many aspects of biathlon that interest me as a cross-country skier. The mass start, tactical decisions and other things. I’m looking forward to offering my own perspective on it,” Northug says about the new job. “And I’m ready for both praise and criticism.”
The thirty-six-year-old star has years of experience in elite sports. In cross-country skiing, he has an impressive collection of titles: two golds from the 2010 Games in Vancouver and 13 firsts at the World Championships.
Photo: www.fis-ski.com
Petter Northug in an archive picture.Photo: www.fis-ski.com
Biathletes in Norway do not worry too much about the arrival of an ‘intruder’. “He’s an entertainer and he’ll bring a lot of fun,” Norwegian representative Sturla Holm Laegreid says of the cross-country icon. “Anything that makes the sport more attractive is positive. Petter knows how to get attention.”
He does not expect that any significant critic of biathletes will come with Northug, he says that the presenters and commentators of TV 2 are already quite sharp.
Northug ended his career in 2018, having also experienced controversial moments in the past. He was driving under the influence of alcohol and left the scene of a collision in which his passenger was injured. He was sentenced, among other things, to 50 days in prison. He also committed serious traffic offenses later. On top of that, drug possession and other misdemeanors… It doesn’t seem to have diminished his popularity.
Another biathlete, Filip Fjeld Andersen, believes that Northug will further increase interest in biathlon. “It will be great. Maybe we’ll even teach him a little something about biathlon. Then he’ll become a real expert,” he adds.
SP starts at the end of November in Kontiolahti, Finland.
