Petter Northug: An era of triumphs and scandals ends

Northug, who has been lagging behind the form of his best days since overtraining after an altitude training camp in fall 2016, has finally given up the fight to rejoin the top. “I have decided to quit. I felt that my body could no longer handle the strain. It's hard to give up now, but on the other hand it also feels good," said the Norwegian at an emotional press conference last week.

The sporting successes The polarizing Norwegian has won everything there is to win in cross-country skiing in his career: Northug won the World Cup title 13 times, Olympic gold twice and the overall World Cup in 2010 and 2013. In total he celebrated 38 World Cup victories and also won the Tour de Ski in 2014/15.

Northug, who fought many a thrilling fight with the Swiss Dario Cologna, was a man for all or nothing. He won a total of 20 medals at World Championships and Olympic Games - of which only four were silver and one bronze, all the others shone in gold.

Northug at his retirement PK in Trondheim © APA/afp / OLE MARTIN WOLD

His final sprints were legendary He wasn't the classic distance runner who usually wins the overall World Cup or the Tour de Ski. Northug's greatest qualities were sprinting. But with hard work and his nose for the right tactics, he was considered almost unbeatable in distance races for a long time.

The Norwegian wasn't necessarily popular: he missed out on the competition because he rarely took the lead, instead staying at the back of the field, running in the slipstream and conserving energy, which he then used with inimitable power, especially in the last kilometer appearances. In addition, when he won big, he didn't miss the opportunity to wait provocatively in front of the finish line until his competitors were there and then take the decisive step shortly before them (at 1.42 minutes in the video).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad_rBE70eBI

His private life Northug became the real figurehead of the international cross-country skiing scene not just because of his achievements and controversial behavior on the cross-country ski trail. He attracted attention early in his career with provocative sayings and various escapades. “Am I unbeatable? I definitely have to have a bad day if someone wants to beat me,” said the Norwegian after a junior world title.

Northug made headlines not only on the cross-country ski trail, but also in normal life: be it with solo efforts in a private team, with his own sponsors, all sorts of disputes with the Norwegian Ski Association, with his TV series “Circus Northug” or with various women's stories. Traffic accident under the influence of alcohol The two-time Olympic champion attracted particularly negative attention in 2014 when he caused a traffic accident while under the influence of alcohol: With 1,65 per mille of alcohol in his blood, he drove way too fast into a roundabout and ended up hitting the guardrails. But it got even worse: Northug also accused his friend, who was injured in the passenger seat, of driving. The cross-country skiing king was ultimately sentenced to 50 days in prison, a five-year driving license suspension and a heavy fine. He served his sentence with an electronic ankle bracelet - but in freedom.

Petter Northug was definitely not “Everybody’s Darling”. But he was a guy who gave the sport of cross-country skiing, which is often considered “unspectacular,” a special touch. The cross-country skiing circus will definitely miss the entertainment factor of the tall Norwegian.

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Petter Northug: An era of triumphs and scandals ends

The Norwegian Petter Northug has dominated cross-country skiing for years. He announced his resignation last week. Time to look back at a special guy with rough edges - on and off the trail.

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