Why Norway fears this woman

First Marit Bjørgen, then Therese Johaug: the sports-loving Norwegian people have been spoiled with countless successes over the last decade and beyond. The fans often asked themselves not whether a Norwegian would win the race, but rather which one. But these times could soon be a thing of the past - because the Swede Frida Karlsson, the new star in the cross-country skiing sky, is putting Therese Johaug & Co. under a lot of pressure months before the start of the next season. And that's why she's in the headlines almost every day. Rapid career progression The career of the woman from Sollefteå reads like a great success story: last year she won three gold medals at the Junior World Championships in Lahti (Finland), and around a month later she made her World Cup debut in Cogne (Italy), where she Finished seventh straight away. The career highlight to date came at the World Championships in Seefeld 2019: In the 10-kilometer competition in the classic technique, the then 19-year-old brought the overwhelming favorite Johaug to the brink of defeat and sensationally won silver. On the royal distance (30 km), she also won a medal in third place - and without having previously been on the World Cup podium.

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes: Frida Karlsson stood up to Therese Johaug at the 2019 World Championships in Seefeld. © APA / BARBARA GINDL

Everything pointed to Karlsson breaking Norwegian supremacy the following season. But everything turned out differently: because of alleged weight problems By February 2020, she had only competed in a single World Cup race. She was also not allowed to take part in the Tour de Ski by order of her own association. She finally made her comeback in February in Östersund, Sweden, after a break of several months, but was unable to (initially) build on her old performances. Johaug defeated in their living room Around two weeks later, Karlsson was back in top form and hit back at the premature season finale: on Holmenkollen in Oslo, of all places, she brought the previously unbeaten Johaug to her knees over the 30 kilometers. Karlsson has now taken on the role of Johaug's opponent - and backed this up with impressive test results in the summer. She recently broke a five-year record set by teammate Ebba Andersson in a traditional fitness test. A few days later she beat her own record. This was documented by the Scandinavian media, who follow their every move.

Experts agree that Johaug will have to dress warmly next season. “Therese has to be careful,” said former World Cup athlete Torgeir Bjørn. “Karlsson’s development means that women’s distance races will become interesting again.” Whether he is right remains to be seen. The new season starts on November 27th in Ruka (Finland).

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Why Norway fears this woman

For years, the winter sports nation of Norway has dominated the cross-country skiing World Cup - especially for women. This dominance is now in danger of being broken. A 20-year-old Swede who is already the talk of the media is responsible for this.

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