“There are still a few races to be completed this season but now is the time to focus on life outside of high-level sport,” the athlete wrote on his Instagram account on Friday.

Johaug thus puts an end to a busy career and concluded in the most beautiful way by reaping three individual Olympic gold medals - those which were missing from his prize list - last month in Beijing.

The 1.62 m Norwegian skier opened the ball by winning the first Games title in the skiathlon, then she dominated the 10 km classic and the mass start 30 km skate.

A flavor of revenge for her who had been deprived of the Pyeongchang Olympics four years earlier, under the influence of an 18-month suspension pronounced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for violation of anti-doping rules.

She had tested positive for a steroid after using a cream provided by the Norwegian team doctor for lip burns.

If they had not accused her of cheating, the judges had reproached her for her negligence, thus shattering her Olympic dream and the hopes of her countless fans.

This black spot in her successful career had not dented the immense popularity of the young woman in Norway, a country keen on skiing.

When she returned from suspension, she proved irresistible, notably winning three gold medals at the World Championships in Seefeld (Austria) in 2019. In 2021, she did even better at the World Championships in Oberstdorf (Germany) with four victories in four races (she has 14 world titles in all).

Steamroller

A real steamroller with 147 podiums including 80 victories in 244 World Cup starts, his unchallenged reign was even reproached to him by disgruntled spirits in his country who accused him of killing discipline by dint of disgusting his opponents.

"I try 365 days a year to become a better skier, to progress," she defended herself in February 2020, after a new series of brilliant victories.

"And they come and tell me that I'm hurting the sport, that there's no suspense, and this and that... It's depressing sometimes when you have to constantly defend yourself".

Gold medalist Therese Johaug of Norway poses on the podium during the victory ceremony for the women's cross-country skiing 30km mass start event at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the National Stadium in Beijing. Beijing, February 20, 2022 Manan VATSYAYANA AFP

Before Beijing, the only Olympic gold she had been able to crunch was that of the 4 x 5 km relay in Vancouver in 2010.

In Sochi four years later, she had to settle for a silver medal in the mass-start 30 km skate - behind her great rival and friend Marit Bjørgen -, and a bronze in the 10 km classic.

The news of his departure made headlines in Norway, temporarily overshadowing the conflict in Ukraine.

"With Marit Bjørgen, she made women's cross-country skiing even more popular," sports commentator Torgeir Bjørn told NTB news agency.

Johaug will line up on Saturday at the start of the classic 30 km mass-start in Oslo-Holmenkollen, where she won the first of her 10 individual world titles for seniors (14 in total) on the 30 km skate mass-start. 11 years ago.

It will be "his last 30 km in national colors", confirmed the Norwegian Ski Federation.

© 2022 AFP