HOLMENEKKEN (VG) The ski girls’ bauta Therese Johaug (33) disappears, but the teammates have a prayer that she has to show up for sessions sometimes.
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– I’ll probably get more girls with me to kidnap Therese for some gatherings. It will be sad, but we will keep in touch and she has promised to join me on a bike ride, says Helene Marie Fossesholm.
Saturday was marked by great emotions in Holmenkollen. Therese Johaug said goodbye to her well-deserved national sport with a large sea of people in perfect weather. But many are also worried about the future of Norwegian cross-country skiing without the 33-year-old.
Fossesholm hopes Johaug will contribute to sessions sometimes when it suits him.
– When we have gatherings in Norway and are nearby, I hope and believe Therese will be with a day or two in between. No one will stand in the way of that, says Fossesholm.
The answer from Johaug should be encouraging for Fossesholm.
– I do not say no thank you for participating in the gathering. I love to be with the girls on tour. I want to be able to contribute my knowledge to younger athletes, says the ski queen.
She wants to get involved in skiing in a role – and preferably towards younger skiers.
– I am very passionate about cross-country skiing, and I feel I know what it takes to go fast in the distance. I could definitely imagine a kind of mentor role, says Johaug.
The teammates greeted Johaug with T-shirts, bubbles and sang with a few sour tones in the stadium.
– It’s big, melancholy and sad. It’s hard to describe. She is there when it gets heavier for others. She is anything but selfish. She thinks of everyone else. It says a bit about how big a heart she has, says Fossesholm.
– How will it be without Johaug on tour?
– I can not bear the thought. We’ll be fine, but there’s a big star disappearing. It’s incredibly sad. It’s our bauta.
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