Cross-country skiing

Cross-country skiers in western Norway.
Nickname(s)	XC skiing
Characteristics
Categorization	Outdoor or indoor in ski tunnels
Equipment	Skis, poles and boots
Olympic	1924

Cross-country skiing (or XC skiing) is a form of ski touring in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles which is popular in many places with large snowfields, primarily Northern Europe, Canada, and Alaska.^[1]

Cross-country skiing is part of the Nordic skiing sport family, which includes ski jumping, Nordic combined (cross-country skiing and ski jumping), Biathlon (skiing and rifle marksmanship)^[1] and ski-orienteering (which included map navigation along snow trails and tracks). It is related to backcountry skiing and Telemark skiing.

Recreational skiing[link]

Cross-country skiing (skating style) in Einsiedeln, Switzerland.

Recreational cross-country skiing is most frequently known as touring. Some skiers stay out for extended periods using tents and equipment similar to bushwalkers/hikers, whereas others take relatively short trips from ski resorts on maintained trails. In some countries, organizations maintain a network of huts for use by cross-country skiers in wintertime. For example, the Norwegian Mountain Touring Association maintains over 400 huts stretching across hundreds of kilometres of trails which are used by hikers in the summer and by skiers in the winter.

Competition[link]

Priit Narusk in the qualification for the Tour de Ski in Prague.

As a sport, cross-country skiing is one of the most difficult endurance sports, as its motions use every major muscle group and it (along with running, rowing and swimming) is one of the sports that burn the most calories per hour in execution. One of the legends in cross-country skiing competitions is Bjørn Dæhlie (Norway). In a test performed by his physiologist, Erlend Hem, Dæhlie made a VO₂-max of 96 ml/kg/min of O₂, a world record.^[2]

Modern cross-country ski competition is experiencing a revolution that is resulting in greater compatibility with audiences which began with the addition of the Sprint event to the World Cup and Olympic competitions in 2002. Today more and more races are being held in audience-friendly formats, such as mass start, sprint, relay and pursuit (a race that involves switching skis, and styles halfway through the race). The modern events in which athletes compete in at the World Cup and Olympics are (distances presented in Female/Male format): 1 km Sprint, 2X1 km Team Sprint, 10 km/15 km Individual Start, 15 km/30 km Pursuit, 30 km/50 km Mass Start, and 4x5 km/4x10 km Relay.

Cesar Baena competes Cross-country skiing (classic style) in Liberec, Czech Republic during World Ski Championships 2009.

Today, there are several types of cross-country competitive events, involving races of various types and lengths, as well as biathlon, involving a combination of cross-country skiing and target shooting with a rifle.

The Winter Olympics, the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, and the FIS World Cup events (including the Holmenkollen and the Tour de Ski, a grueling 9 race series completed in eleven days) have long been a showcase for the world's fastest cross country skiers. There are also special distance ski races, sometimes called ski marathons, like Vasaloppet in Sweden, Birkebeineren in Norway, the Engadin Skimarathon in Switzerland, the Canadian Birkebeiner^[3] the American Birkebeiner the Tour of Anchorage in Anchorage, Alaska and the Tug Hill Tourathon in the US. The skiing styles in these races might be fixed, or, in case of the so-called "double pursuit" event, the two styles are used each in their own separate half of the race (with a change of equipment in "pit stops" half way through).

The Canadian Ski Marathon, despite its name, is not a race, but a tour, the world's longest, at 160 km. The skiers choose their distance challenge and try to accomplish it. The highest honour, the Coureur de Bois Gold, is given to those who ski the entire distance and camp out overnight, bringing all their food and gear with them in a big backpack.

Since 2005, one of the world's longest cross country skiing races has been held in Forestville, Quebec, Canada. The Boreal Loppet has a race loop of 100 km.^[4]

• Cross-country skiing at the Winter Olympics
• FIS Nordic skiing World Championships (including XC skiing)
• XC skiing World Cup (weekly races throughout the winter seasons)

History[link]

A skiing Sami woman or a goddess. Olaus Magnus.

Cross-country skiing originated in Fennoscandian countries in prehistoric times. It was still widely practiced in the 19th century as a way of moving from place to place in winter. Elk, deer and other animals were hunted by skiing. Nowadays many people in countries with strong cross-country skiing traditions — like Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Latvia — have used or regularly use skis.^[1]

By contrast skiing is relatively new in North America and was introduced by Norwegian and Swedish immigrants in the 1850s. Snowshoe Thompson is widely credited for introducing the sport to California in the USA. In Canada pioneers included Aldolf Olsen, Sigurd and Hans Lockeberg and Jackrabbit Johannsen.^[1]

In Canada, although Johannsen never claimed to be the first skier in Canada, he had a major role in stimulating an interest in the sport. He organized races, officiated events, and served as a guide, coach, and consultant for numerous skiing organizations, many of which he helped to found. An enthusiastic teacher, he helped coach Canada's Olympic team in 1932. At the age of 55, he shocked his Canadian Olympic pupils as he accompanied the team step by step through its rigorous training schedule—and still he had energy to spare. This was, however, still quite far from being the twilight of Jackrabbit's incredible skiing career, as he didn't ski his last official race until the age of 75, and still glided through the snowy woods on a daily basis well past the age of 100.^[1]

This form of skiing has been used by explorers as a means of transport, and all Nordic armies have ski-trained infantry for winter operations. Skis gave important mobility to the Finnish army during the Winter War and allowed the small groups of Finns to beat large armies of Russians. Similar tactics that utilize skis have been used in many times by the Finns and Karelians in the past. Pre-modern skiing troops were armed with crossbows and ski poles which had a spearhead on the other end.

Traditionally, all of the equipment was made of natural materials: wooden skis and bamboo poles with leather hand straps.^[5] Footwear was usually sturdy leather boots with thick soles. Bindings evolved from simple straps made of twisted wood-based thread, to the so-called Kandahar binding with the fastening of both the boot’s front and back, to the ‘Rat Trap’ front-only binding, which is today known as the Nordic norm, and has evolved in various modern bindings.^[6]

Equipment[link]

Equipment differs according to skiing technique.

Skis[link]

The skis are long and narrow, to distribute the weight of the skier and allow the skier to move quickly. Typical ski dimensions are 2 metres in length, about 5 centimetres in width and one to four centimetres in thickness at different stations along the length of the ski. Depending on the ski design and purpose, they are fitted to the skier based on height and weight.^[6] The toe of the skier's footwear is attached to the ski with a binding, while the heel remains free.^[6]

Characteristics of cross-country skis:

• Width – Generally, a skating ski is shorter^[7] and narrower^[5] than a classic ski. A ski intended for off-track use is wider and heavier.^[8] Cross-country skis are sometimes informally known as "skinny skis" because of their narrowness compared to alpine skis.^[6]
• Tip – To help cut through deep snow, the tip of a cross-country ski is typically higher and more curved than an alpine ski.^{[citation needed]}
• Camber – for classic technique, camber, the amount of vertical curvature in the ski, is crucial to create a kick zone.^[7][8]
• Bottom surface – Many skis have smooth bottoms which require waxing, but waxless skis are available.^[5][7]
• Edges – For track skiing, skis usually do not have metal edges; backcountry and Telemark skis however often have edges.^[5][7]
• Sidecut – indicates the shape or profile of the ski. Sidecut affects the way a ski tracks (travels in a straight line) and turns. Skis with limited sidecut and a straighter profile (Classic skis) track or glide forward easily. A ski with lots of sidecut will turn more easily but not track as smoothly. Skating skis usually have minimal sidecut: the tips and tails are only slightly wider than the waist. This increases stability in the glide phase.^[7]
• Materials – Formerly, many skis were made of wood alone, or with a fiberglass or synthetic coating over the inner wood layer. Modern skis have synthetic foam cores.^[5]

Poles[link]

Like alpine skiing, cross-country skiers carry two poles for steadiness and propulsion. Early ski poles were usually made from bamboo, but this was supassed in the 1960s by aluminium or fiberglass construction. More expensive poles are made of graphite or carbon fiber or some other strong but lightweight material.^[6]

Poles have a spike at the end to provide a fixed pivot when the pole penetrates through to a hard surface, and a plastic web or disc (called the basket), to provide extra purchase in snow and to ensure the pole doesn't sink too deeply. Different basket styles are available for different techniques and snow conditions.^[5][9]

Nordic poles are longer than poles for alpine skiing. Skating or freestyle poles are usually longer than those used for the classic technique. Poles should be sized proportionally to the height of the skier. The wrist strap helps prevent the skier from dropping the pole, and also assists with pushing in all poling techniques.^[9]

Bindings[link]

SNS Profil boot (Salomon) and ski binding (Fischer)

The binding holds or clips the toe of the boot to the ski. Most bindings are mounted on the skis by screws.^[6]

Depending on technique, boots are generally much lighter in construction than alpine boots. Boots for track skiing are lower cut, with less ankle support, resembling a running shoe. Skating boots are usually higher, stiffer, and reinforced around the heel and ankle. The increased stiffness is designed to support the lateral push-off of the skating stride. Backcountry boots are heavier, with more ankle support.^[9]

Older styled three-pin bindings (Nordic Norm), with or without cables, are still used by backcountry and Telemarking enthusiasts.^[6] The sole of the boot is extended forward slightly at the toe. There are three holes in the bottom of the toe which mate with the pins in the binding. With this system the sole of the boot flexes as the skier strides.

There are three primary groups of binding systems used in modern cross-country skiing:

• NNN (New Nordic Norm) – including R1-R3 and the new R4-R5 NIS (Nordic Integrated System) variants
• SNS (Salomon Nordic System) Profil
• SNS Pilot

Waxes[link]

There are a wide variety of waxes for Nordic Skiing. The waxes can be classified into four main categories: glide waxes, kick waxes, klisters and waxtapes.^[10]

Glide wax[link]

Glide waxes are used to make a ski glide faster, and are applied by ironing onto the ski. Glide waxes range widely in price, depending on quality; racing waxes can be very expensive, over $100 for a 60 gram block of wax. They are generally in the form of blocks, though they can be found as powders or liquids. Glide waxes are applied outside the kick zone of classic skis, or to the full length of skate skis.^[10] They are the only type of wax used on skating skis.^[5] Typically, three different categories of wax may be used, depending on the level of cross country skiing. Hydrocarbon waxes, made from simple paraffin waxes, are used in most recreational and lower level glide waxing. Race waxing may use a combination of fluorinated hydrocarbon waxes and fluorocarbon overlays.^[11] Fluorocarbons decrease surface tension and surface area of the water between the ski and the snow, increasing speed and glide of the ski under specific conditions. Either combined with the wax or applied after in a spray, powder, or block form, fluorocarbons significantly improve the glide of the ski and are widely used in cross country ski races.^[12]

Kick wax[link]

The purpose of kick wax is to provide grip on snow when weight is transferred on a ski; they are used on classic skis only. Kick waxes are applied in the kick zone of classic skis if the ski is not a fish-scale, waxless ski.^[10][13]

Kick waxes are classified according to their hardness: harder waxes are for colder and newer snow. Using a wax that is too hard will not give sufficient grip, while wax that is too soft will cause the formation of an ice sole that slows the skier down. It is not uncommon to apply a new layer of wax if the weather changes, or when moving in altitude.^[10]

The difficulty of choosing correct kick waxes to different conditions is nowadays greatly reduced by grip wax tapes, which have a wide temperature range, and are easily applied to the ski bottom. Although these are not used by competitors, who prefer the optimum waxing, they have proven to be quite suitable for fitness and recreational purposes. Many high-level competitive teams have "wax technicians" whose job is to apply the ideal wax combinations for the conditions.^{[citation needed]}

Kick waxes generate grip by penetrating into the snowflakes when the skier puts his weight on the ski. Colder snowflakes are harder, and so is newly fallen snow. The most appropriate wax is the one that is soft enough to generate grip, but also hard enough not to accumulate snow and create a sole.^[10]

Waxes are usually colour-coded by usage temperature: the most common are red for above 0˚C, and blue for below. There are many other colours for more specific temperature ranges, for instance violet for around 0˚C, green for below -10˚C, and white for below -15˚C. The snow-temperature range given by the producer will vary slightly, since new snow will require a harder wax.^[10]

Guessing the right hardness can be quite difficult, and the varying condition of the snow can make the right choice wrong after a few hundred metres. Furthermore, the snow in the beaten track is usually much different from the one immediately surrounding it, and works best with a softer wax. If skis are poorly tuned, sometimes the skier can solve thin snow soles caused by a soft wax by beating the ski on the track after kicking; the opposite problem may be handled by skating. One way around the problems of standard grip wax is to use a wax grip tape, which is applied to the kick zone of the ski in tape form. The tape can last for 100 to 200 km (62 to 124 mi) has a very wide temp range (-20C to +5C), and can be left on the ski at the end of the day and stored by covering in waxed paper.^[10]

Klister[link]

If the temperature is above zero in Celsius scale, kick wax cannot provide any more grip. One must therefore resort to klister, which is basically a glue-like paste (in Scandinavian languages "klister" actually means "paste", "glue" or "size" used in papering). Klister is discouraging for amateurs, as it is very sticky, it is easy to apply but very difficult to remove.^[10]

Klister can be applied with a plastic blade or with the palm of the hand. The hand is then cleaned in the glove, rubbing against the glove fabric while sweating. Since klister is a non-polar substance, a non-polar solvent (such as mineral spirits) or a soap is necessary to remove it. It is possible to buy solvents made specifically for cleaning skis. These should be used with care, as they are both flammable and toxic if inhaled or absorbed through the skin.^[10]

Klister is also colour-coded: red, purple, blue and silver.^[10]

Waxless skis[link]

In recent decades waxless skis have become popular in the recreational ski market. Introduced in 1970, waxless skis accounted for 75 percent of cross country sales in the United States in 1985, despite their typically poor performance compared with well-waxed skis.^[14]

Waxless skis have a fish scale, cross-hatched or ridged pattern in the kick zone to provide grip. A waxless ski is inferior to a finely tuned waxed ski, but does not require the sometimes time-consuming and sometimes costly selection and application of kick wax or klister and will work between temperatures, an important advantage in areas with many sun/shadow boundaries. Some skiers apply a layer of glide wax to keep them sliding smoothly and protecting the surface from dirt and ice build-up. There are specialty liquid wax products on the market manufactured for waxless skis, though standard glide wax can also be used on the tips and tails of the ski.^[6][15][16]

Waxless skis are better suited to recreational and casual skiers who want to ski with minimal time spent on maintenance, as they generally produce too much drag for competitive skiers and those who value comparatively effortless movement.^[6][17]

Waxless skis are sometimes used by Nordic racers during variable ski conditions such as temperatures over freezing. At the 1976 Winter Olympics held in Innsbruck, US ski team member Bill Koch won a silver medal on waxless skis.^[14]

Styles and techniques[link]

There are three main styles used in cross-country skiing: classic, skating and telemarking. There is also skiathlon, which combines classic and skating. Specially adapted equipment is available to suit each. Another style growing in popularity is skijoring. In skijoring, the skier is pulled over the snow by one or more dogs, or, alternatively, a snowmobile. Both classic and skating techniques are used by skijorers.

Opening a track through deep snow can be quite arduous.

Classic[link]

The classic style is often used on prepared trails (pistes) that have pairs of parallel grooves (tracks) cut into the snow.

Skis have camber and should leave the centre section of the ski clear of the snow when the skier's weight is evenly distributed between the pair. The centre section of a classic ski will either have "fish scales", or ski wax that will stick to the snow (called the "kick zone" or "grip zone" of the ski). When full weight is transferred to a single ski the kick zone comes into contact with the snow.^[8] Glide wax is used on the tails and tips of the skis.^[5]

The basic techniques of classic skiing are classified by flat terrain, uphill, downhill and turning. On the flat terrain the diagonal stride is most commonly used and is a running action with parallel skis, kicking and gliding with each stride. The poles are planted alternately on the opposite side to the kick. Three-step and four-step diagonals are also used. The three-step is also known as a change-up or passgang and involved three strides to one pole push. Another flat-terrain technique is double poling, whereby the legs are not moved and all propulsive force is provided by the two poles used together. Double poling may be combined with strides in the one-step and two-step double pole techniques.^[18]

On uphill terrain classic techniques include the side step where the skis are used perpendicular to the slope, the herringbone, where the skis are "V"ed outwards and a tight diagonal, where the flat land diagonal technique is employed with much shorter glides.^[18]

Downhill classic skiing involves using the snowplow, whereby the skis are turned inwards with the tips nearly together to create drag and thus reduce descent speed. Turning on flat terrain is often accomplished with a tip-turn, moving the skis round the turn from a diagonal stride. Another turning technique is the kick-turn, conducted by lifting the ski while double poling. The skate-turn transfers the weight onto the turning forward ski as in ice skating. Other methods of turning include the telemark-turn, using the trailing ski as a rudder, skid-turn and stem christie alpine-turn done from a downhill snowplow.^[18]

Skate skiing[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2011)

Michal Malák skate-skis at a qualifier for the Tour de Ski, 2007.

Cross-country ski trails at Gatineau Park, Quebec, track-set for classic skiing at the sides and groomed for skate skiing in the centre.

Cross-country skiing in Alps.

Skate skiing involves a decisive weight transfer onto one ski angled and then the other, supported by the inner edge of the ski on the snow, which looks similar to an ice skater. As in classic skiing, transferring weight completely from one ski to the next is essential to learning to skate. Those who have learned to ice skate or rollerskiing may find ski skating technique easier to learn than classic skiing. The free technique in XC skiing is not to be confused with freestyle, which describes ski sport where the competitors compete over a mogul course and by performing aerial gymnastics such as spins after launching from a short ramp in the snow.^{[citation needed]}

Skate skiing can be done either with skis specifically designed for skating or 'combi' skis for both skating and classic styles. Similarly, specialized skating boots or combi boots can be used. Skate skis tend to be shorter and stiffer than those used for the classical technique, and the poles are longer. Neither fish scale skis nor grip wax are used.^{[citation needed]}

Different limb-movement patterns are used for different terrain and speeds. There is no internationally accepted naming convention for these techniques.

There are also variants of these techniques, most notably hop-skating, which involves dynamic tempo causing both skis to leave the snow at the same time; generally it is used as a V-1 (offset skate) variant on short hills, but a few racers jump-skate in V-2 (1-skate) sprinting.

Skating style became popular during 1980s. The Finnish skier Pauli Siitonen used the style in 1970s (in Germany in the 1980s skating was called "Siitonen-Schritt" in reference to him). Siitonen had found the style useful at the middle of the race he already thought was lost. After switching to skating Siitonen managed to win the race, to his surprise. The success of Bill Koch (USA) in 1982 Cross-country Skiing Championships held in Oslo drew more attention to the skating style. In the 1984 Winter Olympics of Sarajevo many competitors used an immature form of skating kicking extra speed with one feet (trail being in the middle of trace matured technique was not appropriate). This trend was yet stronger at Seefield's World Championships in 1985. The International Ski Federation (FIS) was confused about these developments. At Seefeld there were some attempts to force competitors to use the traditional style by using plastic walls during the 30 km race. However, later that year the FIS decided to start organising separate races for traditional and skating styles. Separate traditional and free events were used already in World Championships held in Oberstdorf (1987).^{[citation needed]}

Skating technique is only suitable for use on prepared trails (pistes), firm and smooth snow or snow crust and frozen snow-covered lakes or rivers.^{[citation needed]}

Skating is faster and different muscular exercise than classic skiing, except in extremely cold conditions where classic skiing may approach skating in speed. Adoption of the skating technique varies from country to country. In some countries the majority of non-professional racers now skate, although top skiers continue to learn and train in both styles.^{[citation needed]}

The distinction between classic technique and free technique is made in competition i.e., a race will be designated as classic or free. In the case of the former only those propulsion techniques that are considered 'classic' are allowed whereas in the latter the competitors are free to use any technique although the majority of competitors will opt to skate. Large races will often have both skate and classic divisions and award prizes in both categories.^{[citation needed]}

Recent developments in the sport include "double pursuit" races where the competitors complete the first part of the event using the classic technique and the second part using the free technique.^{[citation needed]}

See also[link]

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Dresbeck, LeRoy J. (1967-10). "The ski: its history and historiography". Technology and Culture 8 (4): 467–79 + fig. 1–3. DOI:10.2307/3102114. ISSN 0040165X. 
• Rees, David (1981). Cross-country skiing: touring and competition (3d ed.). Toronto: Copp C. Pitman. ISBN 978-0-7730-4045-8. OCLC 300405310. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cross-country skiing

• FIS-Ski.com - The Governing Body for Cross Country Ski Racing worldwide
• U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association - The Governing Body for Cross Country Ski Racing in the United States

Videos[link]

• Video of World Cup Skiers demonstrating diagonal stride technique
• Video of World Cup Skiers demonstrating offset / V1 technique
• Video of World Cup Skiers demonstrating double poling technique
• Video of World Cup Skiers demonstrating step double poling technique
• Video of World Cup Skiers demonstrating One Skate / V2 technique
• Video of World Cup Skiers demonstrating Two Skate / V2 alternate technique

Cross country (cross-country) can refer to:

Sports

• Cross country running, a sport in which teams of runners compete to complete a course over open or rough terrain
• Cross-country skiing, a winter sport for skiing
• Cross-country cycling
• Cross-country equestrianism
• Cross-country jump, a parachute jump
• Cross-country flying
• Fell running
• Orienteering
• Trail running

Transportation

• Aeros Cross Country, an ultralight trike aircraft
• CrossCountry, a train operating company in Great Britain
• Virgin CrossCountry, a former train operating company in Great Britain
• Cross Country Route, a railway route in the Great Britain

Other uses

• Cross Country (CMT TV series), a television series on CMT
• Cross-country can mean off-road
• Cross-Country (G.I. Joe), a fictional character in the G.I. Joe universe
• Cross Country (novel), a 2008 novel by James Patterson
• Cross Country (film) a 1983 drama film starring Nina Axelrod
• Cross Country USA (Video Game) a 1988 edutainment videogame by Didatech

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Petter Northug
Personal information
Full name	Petter Northug Jr.
Born	(1986-01-06) 6 January 1986 (age 26) Mosvik, Norway
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Professional information
Club	Strindheim IL
Skis	Fischer
World Cup
Seasons	2005–
Wins	13
Additional podiums	12
Total podiums	25

Medal record
Men's cross country skiing
Competitor for  Norway
Olympic Games
Gold	2010 Vancouver	50 km classical
Gold	2010 Vancouver	Team sprint
Silver	2010 Vancouver	4×10 km relay
Bronze	2010 Vancouver	Individual sprint
World Championships
Gold	2007 Sapporo	4×10 km
Gold	2009 Liberec	15 km + 15 km skiathlon
Gold	2009 Liberec	50 km
Gold	2009 Liberec	4×10 km
Gold	2011 Oslo	15 km + 15 km skiathlon
Gold	2011 Oslo	50 km
Gold	2011 Oslo	4×10 km
Silver	2011 Oslo	Sprint
Silver	2011 Oslo	Team sprint

Petter Northug Jr. (born 6 January 1986) is a Norwegian cross country skier and double Olympic champion. He has 9 World Championship and Winter Olympic gold medals with 13 medals overall, and 11 individual FIS Cross-Country World Cup wins with 23 podium places.

Early life and career[link]

During his first years, Northug was generally considered a star of the future. Whilst he was still a junior Verdens Gang newspaper reported in November 2005 that "the ski manufacturers are fighting to get Northug".^[1] Fischer won his signature, and his contract included a base salary (the first time ever for a junior), which would be multiplied by five if he made the Norwegian elite team for 2006/07, which he did. The contract also offered bonuses if he won medals in the junior World Championships.

Northug has six gold medals from junior World Championships. His first two gold medals came in 2004/05 in the pursuit and the 10 km freestyle in Rovaniemi, then in 2005/06 in Kranj he won gold in the 10 km classic, the pursuit, the sprint, and the relay. He also has two silver medals (one in the sprint, and one in the relay, both in 2004/05). His victories made him the first athlete ever to win five individual gold medals at the FIS Junior Nordic World Ski Championships. During 2005/06 he also took part in the Norwegian National Championships, and won the double pursuit race, beating Frode Estil by 1.9 seconds, and became the first junior to ever win a Norwegian National Championship.

Before he joined the World Cup he competed in a few Continental Cup meetings, but mostly in the Scandinavian Cup. During his Scandinavian Cup career (2004/05 & 2005/06) he had seven podium finishes, he came second once in 2004/05, and in 2005/06 he scored four victories, and two second places.

Athletic career[link]

The 2005/06 season was Northug's first in the World Cup, although he competed in one race the season before, a sprint in Drammen, he came 35th. During the 2005/06 season he shared his time equally between the World Cup and the Scandinavian Cup, although in early May 2006 it was announced that Northug would be in the senior national team for the 2006/07 season.^[2] Northug also claimed his first World Cup victory in the 2005/06 season, in a pursuit race in Falun, beating 2005/06 World Cup winner Tobias Angerer, who came second, and 2004/05 overall champion Axel Teichmann was third.^[3] Then in the last race of the year, a pursuit in Sapporo he claimed another podium place, coming second.^[4] He lost to Mathias Fredriksson by 3.8 seconds. He also came seventh, tenth, and twelfth in sprint races, and fifteenth in the 50 km freestyle in Holmenkollen. Northug finished the 2005/06 World Cup season in 14th place overall. He also finished 14th in the distance standings, and 24th in the sprint.^[5]

After Norway's disappointing display at the 2006 Winter Olympics, the Norwegian press questioned why Northug was not taken to the games. Northug himself admitted he was disappointed after not getting selected, especially as he had won the double pursuit in the National Championships earlier in the year.^[6]

Northug won his first gold medal at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Sapporo as a member of the 4 x 10 km relay in 2007. He added three more golds at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 in Liberec, earning them in the 15 km + 15 km double pursuit, 4 x 10 km relay and 50 km freestyle mass start.

Northug was the runner up to the overall World Cup in the 2008/2009 season, losing to the Swiss Dario Cologna after leading before the final races.

Northug finished in an extremely disappointing 41st place in the first Cross Country event during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. A day later, Northug responded with a bronze medal in the Sprint Event. This success was short lived however, as he broke his pole in the end of the 30 km pursuit. He then won his first Olympic gold, in the Team Sprint, alongside Øystein Pettersen.

Days later he was skiing the anchor leg in the 4 x 10 km relay. When he took over from Lars Berger who was skiing the 3rd leg, he was 37.5 seconds behind the lead group. Despite this he managed to perform his incredibly fast finish to catch and overtake France and the Czech Republic to win Norway a silver medal.

Northug won the Men's 50 kilometre classic at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Less than two weeks later, he won the 50 kilometre freestyle event at the Holmenkollen, becoming the first skier to win the 50 km at the Winter Olympics, World Championships, and Holmenkollen since Sweden's Gunde Svan reached that triple crown in 1988.

In September 2010 details of Northug's sponsorship contract with soft drink manufacturer Red Bull were publicized by Norwegian broadcaster TV 2, which did not divulge its sources, revealing the most profitable sponsorship agreement with an individual athlete in Norwegian history. For four years, until after the 2014 Winter Olympics, Northug will be receiving a minimum of NOK 1 million annually with a prospect of getting twice the amount if his performances equal those in his most recent seasons.^[7] During the 2011 World Championship, he gained widespread international attention when he controversially crossed the finish-line sideways after convincingly beating his opponents. The gesture was regarded (by media, not said by Hellner) as utterly disrespectful, most notably towards his most fierce rival, Marcus Hellner.

Northug did not start the 2010-2011 season well, missing the first three weeks of the world cup due illness. His Tour de Ski campaign was also marred by poor results (to his standard) in the opening stages. He however climbed the rankings and finished 2nd after winning the prestigious penultimate stage (20 km classical mass start) in Val di Fiemme (taking all intermediate bonus sprints as well which has never been done by the winner of the race). In the Holmenkollen World Ski Championship Northug raced in five disciplines, taking 3 gold and 2 silver medals. At the end of the season Northug also won the Season Finale in Sweden, beating his compatriot Finn Haagen Krogh.

As of 2012, Northug is far and wide unmatched as to number of medals among the active cross country skiers. His tally of 13 Olympic and World Championship medals (9 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze) stands tall above his peers: Tobias Angerer 11 (0-6-5), Axel Teichmann 10 (2-7-1), Jens Filbrich 9 (0-4-5), Giorgio di Centa 7 (2-2-3), Pietro Piller Cottrer 7 (2-2-3), Anders Soedergren 7 (1-3-3), Marcus Hellner 5 (3-1-1), Eldar Roenning 5 (3-1-1), Johann Olson 5 (1-1-3), Lars Berger 4 (3-1-0), Lukas Bauer 4 (0-2-2), Ola Vigen Hattestad 3 (2-1-0), Martin Johnsrud Sundby 3 (1-1-1), Daniel Rickardsson 2 (1-1-0), Tord Asle Gjerdalen 2 (1-0-1), Matti Heikinen 2 (1-0-1), Dario Cologna 1 (1-0-0). He has also already surpassed recently retired champions Frode Estil 13 (6-4-3) and Odd-Bjoern Hjelmeset 10 (5-1-4). Northug is however still to match his legendary predecessor Bjoern Daehlie with his 29 (17-9-3) Olympic and World Championship medals.

Personal life[link]

He has two brothers, Even and Tomas.^[8] Northug finished school in 2006, but during the summer of 2005 he changed schools from Steinkjer to Meråker and moved into a cabin next to the ski trails to optimize his training conditions.^[9]

Petter Northug participated and cashed (on 653rd place) in the 2010 World Series of Poker main event which he played with close friend and rival Marcus Hellner.^[10]

Career highlights[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Petter Northug

• Petter Northug, jr. at the International Ski Federation
• Official website (Norwegian)