Norwegian cross-country skiing star Therese Johaug has announced she will step back from competitive skiing ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
On May 26, 2025, Johaug took to Instagram to share that she will not compete in the upcoming Games in Cortina, Italy. Although she still loves skiing, Johaug plans to focus on her family and support her teammates from the sidelines.
Johaug has a two-year-old daughter with Nils Jakob Hoff, a two-time Olympic rower.
Widely regarded as one of Norway’s greatest cross-country skiers, Johaug is known for her powerful racing style, which has influenced other top athletes such as Jessie Diggins.
Over her career, Johaug has earned four Olympic gold medals representing Norway. The 2026 Games would have been her fourth Olympics.
She won her first Olympic gold in Vancouver in 2010 and claimed three more at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. At the 2014 Sochi Games, she earned silver and bronze medals. Johaug missed the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics due to a competition ban after testing positive for steroids, which were unintentionally absorbed through a prescribed topical ointment.
In addition to her Olympic success, Johaug holds 23 World Championship medals, including 14 golds. Most recently, she won four medals at the Nordic World Championships in Trondheim, Norway, in March 2025.