Helene Marie Fossesholm (21) cannot go to the World Cup final in Lahti this weekend.
The season was nowhere near what Fossesholm dreamed of. There were only six races in the World Cup. There were no WC races in Planica. Now the 21-year-old has to watch the very last World Cup race of the season in Finland from the sidelines.
– Helene will not be selected for Lahti, confirms the national team coach Sjur Ole Svarstad against VG.
Fossesholm made her way up, forward and into the cross-country world when she led Norway to World Cup gold in the relay as anchor woman in Oberstdorf in 2021. In the months before the World Cup, she took two podium places in the World Cup. Expectations were sky high. But after the WC it became difficult. This season, she would fight back.
– In many races she is not at the top of the world, but Helene rarely runs bad ski races. She shows when she runs that she is top 15 in the world in skating. We haven’t heard the last from her, says Svarstad to VG.
VG has been in contact with Fossesholm. She doesn’t want to do any interviews now.
– She would be happy to do an interview, but only when the ski season is over, reports media officer for the cross-country national team Gro Eide.
After the WC in Oberstdorf two years ago, Fossesholm has these positions in the World Cup: 7, 5, 4, 14, 24, 59, 11, 33, 26, 16, 9, 26, 14, 15. The Olympics in Beijing were a downturn with 18th place in the 15 kilometer joint start with ski change, over three and a half minutes behind Therese Johaug and 5th place in the relay.
– The hope was that she would go faster in the winter, says Svarstad.
In an interview with VG last November, the 21-year-old said that she has done more or less everything wrong after she was admitted to the senior national team as a junior.
But here is someone who is successful at everything at the moment, she also comes from the Drammen area. Kristine Stavås Skistad is guaranteed to go to Lahti, to fight for the fifth straight World Cup sprint victory:
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BØ I TELEMARK (VG) Cross-country talent Helene Marie Fossesholm (21) is moving from Vestfossen to Oslo’s west end.
Fossesholm has one top 10 position in the World Cup this season. Last season there were two.
Now the national team coach urges patience. Because there have been some ups and downs. The 21-year-old took NM bronze in the 10 kilometer freestyle and won a Norwegian Cup race on 17 February. She then went to the Scandinavian Cup in Madona in Latvia on the first weekend in March, but she chose not to go.
– She felt tired after a competition weekend. She was not in the mood, says Svarstad.
One who is in mode this season is Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, on Tuesday he took World Cup win number 18 of the season:
Svarstad points out that the transition from junior to senior can be tough.
– It’s about taking the time this takes. Find training balance, take it step by step. After all, Helene is a very young performer, it is extra important to build stone by stone and not get too eager. We have to find the right balance and look at it positively, says Svarstad.
– Will Fossesholm be offered a place in the national team next year?
– I don’t want to comment on that now. Now we will concentrate on important races, then we will present a team over Easter, replies Svarstad.
The next challenge for Fossesholm could be the NM part 2 which takes place at Tolga and starts with a team sprint for the clubs on March 29, 5/10 km ladies/men the following day and three and five mile races on March 31.
VG+ Sports: Watch the Helsinki Ski Week sprint with, among others, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo in action, live on VG+ Sport on Wednesday from 18.00. Commentator: Vegard Aulstad and Kari Øyre Slind.
Fossesholm was a junior when she led Norway to the World Cup gold two years ago:
