Therese Johaug: Six-time Olympic medallist ends career in style with World Cup 30km victory in Oslo
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ByEurosport
Published 05/03/2022 at 11:57 GMT
Therese Johaug finished her glittering cross-country skiing career in style after announcing on Friday it would be her last ever race. The 33-year-old came first in the 30km mass start at Holmenkollen ski centre in a time of 1:19:22.8 to seal her fifth distance World Cup title. Finland's Krista Parmakoski came second +19.4 seconds behind while Sweden's Jonna Sundling took third (+32.3 seconds).
'She ends in style!' - Johaug signs off with victory in 30km mass start in Oslo
Six-time Olympic medallist Therese Johaug raced for the final time at the World Cup 30km mass start in Oslo on Saturday, sealing the distance World Cup for a fifth time.
Johaug, who won three gold medals at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and relay gold at Vancouver 2010, announced on Friday that she was to retire from the sport after the race, and she signed off in style with her 70th World Cup win.
Johaug broke away at the end of the first lap out of the four and held a lead of over a minute before coasting to victory.
"There are lots of emotions," the 14-time world champion said afterwards as she crossed the line to Andrea Bocelli's 'Time to say goodbye'.
"I started here in 2011, today is my last race here. It was cloudless skies and a lot of people, just like in 2011. I am so happy now but also very sad."
The 33-year-old wrote on social media on Friday that it was time for her to focus on ventures outside of cross-country skiing.
She wrote on Instagram: "On March 5, 2011, I won the three-mile World Cup at home, my first victory as a senior, and the start of an adventure that has taken me to places I never thought I would reach.
“In many ways, it feels as if I’ve gone full circle to where I was on Saturday, March 5, 2022, standing on the starting line for another three miles in Holmenkollen.
“I really do not want the journey to end, but there is a time for everything, and I think the time has come for me to now do other things than invest full-time in cross-country skiing.”
Four years ago, Johaug's reputation took a dent as she was banned from competing at Pyeongchang 2018 because she was serving an 18-month suspension for testing positive for the anabolic steroid clostebol.
The steroid was in a cream given to her by a team doctor to treat sunburnt lips.
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