Ingvild Flugstad Østberg (31) will not be allowed to go to the Olympics next month, but will be there as support when Therese Johaug (33) makes the final preparations for the Olympics at the height in Seiser Alm.
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Johaug and Flugstad Østberg have been teammates on the national team for several years. In recent years, Flugstad Østberg has had health problems, and the 31-year-old has repeatedly not complied with the health certificate. She lost a large part of the 2019/20 season and did not run a single race in the 2020/21 season.
“Ingvild is with Therese as she would otherwise have been alone there,” writes cross-country manager Espen Bjervig in an SMS to VG. He states that it is the Norwegian Ski Association that has paid for the altitude stay at Flugstad Østberg. Johaug was clear last year that she missed her teammate, and now she gets help from her in the hunt for her very first individual Olympic gold.
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Flugstad Østberg was not allowed to participate in an altitude stay in Seiser Alm in October due to the then health situation, but was part of the Norwegian team when the World Cup started in Ruka in November. However, there were three races before Christmas, before the second day of Christmas it became known that the health situation of Flugstad Østberg meant that she had to stand over the Tour de Ski and that she thus will not go to the Olympics next month.
Both Johaug and Flugstad Østberg have shared content Instagram from training the last few days.
–– She is helping Therese with her Olympic preparations, and is not there to train much herself. She is followed up by our and Olympiatoppen’s health team and our coaches, Bjervig states, and further says that “Ingvild is there for the social”.
VG has been in contact with national team doctor Øystein Andersen, who has referred to Bjervig’s statements related to Flugstad Østberg’s participation in the training camp.
– There was no one else to travel on Saturday last week, so then Therese realized that she might be able to hear if Ingvild wanted to join. She had it, so it was really nice for both of them, I think. In Ingvild’s somewhat difficult situation, it is a great way to be able to contribute a little towards the Olympics, says Johaug’s coach, Pål Gunnar Mikkelsplass to VG.
During the week, a number of other athletes and members of the support staff come to Italian Seiser Alm to do away with the final preparations, including Mikkelsplass itself, which travels down on Friday. In addition to Johaug, Hans Christer Holund has been present in Seiser Alm recently.
– Traveling alone downhill is one thing, and getting company is very positive and nice, says Mikkelsplass that Flugstad Østberg joined Johaug down to Italy.
Coach for the Norwegian women’s national team, Ola Vigen Hattestad, writes to VG that Flugstad Østberg is first and foremost in Seiser Alm to «relax and have a good time».
Johaug was as planned over the Tour de Ski, but was scheduled to run in French Morez-Les Rousses this weekend. However, the races there were canceled, but Mikkelsplass thinks it could end up being positive in terms of less travel load.
– We had considered one so that it was plan A, but when it becomes as it is, it is just to put a line over it and think of other solutions.
Instead, Johaug will stay in Seiser Alm until 26 January. Thus, the race in Davos on 12 December will be Johaug’s last before the Olympics, where the first cross-country exercise is on 5 February.
– We see that after a long and good training period, there are often good results. Therese has good experience with this from before, so in that sense it is a familiar situation, says Mikkelsplass, and points out that Holund is also doing the same towards the Olympics, and that Swedish Johan Olsson has had success with a similar strategy before.
VG has contacted Johaug through her manager, Jørn Ernst, and Flugstad Østberg, but they have not yet commented on the case.
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