On Saturday, Therese Johaug was honored as last year’s best female athlete in Norway at the Sports Gala.
The other nominees in the category were:
Jeanette Hegg Duestad, shooting
Tiril Eckhoff, biathlon
Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal, athletics
Caroline Graham Hansen, football
Gyda Westvold Hansen, combined
Solfrid Koanda, weightlifting
Maren Lundby, hop
Ragne Wiklund, skater
Daniel André Tande (27) says in the national jumping team’s own podcast, “Hoppcast”, that he has lost some of his respect for the Sports Gala.
– Let me be completely honest … I do not quite remember what situation it was, but it is starting to be quite a few years since I lost little respect for the Sports Gala. So I do not bother to bother with it anymore, says Tande in the podcast episode, according to VG.
– The prize went to a former doping convict in a very small sport
Teammate Johann André Forfang seems to dislike that Johaug received the award as female athlete of the year.
– I can mention that there are quite a few good female athletes in Norway, but the award yesterday went to a former doping convict in a very small sport, he says.
During last year’s season, Johaug took four golds during the World Ski Championships in Oberstdorf.
Banned for 18 months
Therese Johaug’s manager, Jørn Ernst, informs the newspaper that neither he nor Johaug want to comment on Forfang’s proposal. Jore leader for the sports gala and top sports manager Tore Øvrebø will not comment on the case either.
In 2016, Johaug tested positive for Clostebol and was later banned from all sports for 18 months for violating the doping regulations.
Johaug herself has explained that she ingested the drug via a cream she used against sunburned lip.
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