– If I had been the favorite for the World Championship at home now, there would probably be a manager standing there, says Petter Northug, pointing to the right.
– And then John Northug would have been standing there kicking stones, he continues, pointing to the left.
– And you would have been told that you have one question left, he grins, holding a finger up in the air.
WARNING: Petter Northug believes Johannes Høsflot Klæbo must be cynical as the chaos of the World Championship unfolds.
Photo: Henrik Myhr Nielsen / NRK
Petter Northug is not the favorite for the World Championship at home in Granåsen at the turn of February/March. Therefore, he takes all the time in the world when he welcomes NRK at the altitude training camp in Livigno.
– Here we can sit and talk until you get bored, he says, spreading his arms.
– Noise from another world
It was definitely not like that in the late autumn of 2010, 14 years ago, when the same man was indeed the big favorite ahead of the World Championship in Holmenkollen. The media had barely access to what was then Norway’s overwhelmingly most popular athlete.
Petter Northug did everything to shield himself from unnecessary noise. Like, for example, skipping the Norwegian Championships in Steinkjer ahead of the World Championship with a
Now it is Johannes Høsflot Klæbo who finds himself in the same situation as Northug did the last time there was a World Championship in Norway. In Livigno, the old and the new skiing king have had conversations about what awaits in Granåsen and how to manage it.
– What can bring Johannes down is the pressure he faces. This is going to be something different than the championships he has attended before. It is the pressure around that he probably has not felt to the same degree, says Northug to NRK.
– There it will be pressure, and there will be chasing, and there will be hassle, and it is also about keeping a cool head in between when things happen. For a World Championship at home, as we got to experience in Oslo, it was noise from another world when you were outside your hotel.
According to Northug, Klæbo and other Norwegian athletes will seriously feel the pressure in the last week before it all kicks off.
Petter Northug believes Klæbo has all the prerequisites to handle the external pressure, thanks to his closest supporters.
– It is important for Johannes now to have the apparatus around him that keeps him shielded, that takes care of him, so that he can do this job. Being prepared when the season starts is important. And especially when it starts to ramp up towards the World Championships, because it is not certain that everything will go smoothly, says Northug, pointing out that it certainly did not go that way for him in 2011.
PREPARED: Johannes Høsflot Klæbo does everything he can to be ready for the World Championships both physically and mentally.
Signals of cynicism
Johannes Høsflot Klæbo is no stranger to managing nerves.
– I guess it will be something like what I experienced in Pyeongchang for the first time. A pressure that I had never felt before. I’m sure I will feel some of the same now, if not even worse. Now it’s just about trying to bring out the methods I
At the same time, the 28-year-old is determined to listen to advice from his ten years older mentor.
– There is going to be pressure leading up to the World Championships. We need to be cynical, he says.
– I think I should be able to handle that. The advantage is that you can throw the father figure ahead of you and use that. But being cynical, that is for sure.
Klæbo is fully aware that the World Championship at home could be defining for his career.
– Whether it goes well or poorly, it is something that I will think about for the rest of my life. So I just need to do the job, be cynical, and make the right choices over the next four months, and then we’ll try to make friends with people again afterward, he says.
The distance curse
Petter Northug points to an extra mental challenge that can go both ways for Klæbo: “The distance curse.” Klæbo has nine World Championship gold medals and five Olympic golds to his name. But the five individual golds have all come in sprints.
THE BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Johannes Høsflot Klæbo finished first but never received a gold medal after the 50 km in Oberstdorf.
During the World Championship in Oberstdorf in 2021, Klæbo was disqualified from gold in the 50 km. In Planica two years later, he was beaten by Pål Golberg in the final stretch of the same distance.
– That is precisely the type of factor that can affect Johannes. The fact that he goes into a championship number seven without having taken a distance gold, and then feels the pressure that he must deliver at home, and that is what the public wants now. He knows himself, and everyone knows, says Northug.
– The desire for revenge is something you think about. There are some ski races in the World Championship where gold medals will be awarded. it is up to me. Then I just need to enter that bubble and be in it. I just need to start digging deep, because it’s going to hurt, states Johannes Høsflot Klæbo.
Published
17.11.2024, at 10:35
How can athletes effectively manage expectations and external noise during high-stakes competitions?
Klæbo’s acknowledgment of the immense pressure that comes with competing at home resonates deeply, especially given Northug’s own experiences. It’s clear that both athletes recognize that the spotlight can be overwhelming. Petter Northug’s reflections on the anxiety and distractions that accompany such high-stakes competitions highlight the need for a solid support system, akin to the one Klæbo aspires to maintain.
As Northug points out, the noise of expectations is significantly louder during homeworld championships, making it essential for Klæbo to stay grounded amid external pressures. This sense of pressure is something Klæbo is preparing for, drawing parallels between his previous Olympic experiences and what awaits him in Granåsen.
The poignant advice from Northug about maintaining a “cynical” attitude serves as a reminder that belief in one’s capabilities—while also recognizing the challenges—is key to navigating the upcoming events. Klæbo’s determination to remain focused on performance over external noise will be critical as he approaches the championship, particularly given its potential to define his career.
both athletes showcase a blend of respect for the sport and an understanding of the mental fortitude required to thrive under pressure—an essential cocktail for success in competitive sports, especially when the stakes are as high as they are during a World Championship held at home.