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4x Gold Medalist Therese Johaug Announces Her Retirement

Originally posted on Powder | By Izzy Lidsky | Last updated May 28, 2025 3:30 PM ET

Ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, one of Norway's most famous cross-country skier has decided to take a step back from skiing.

Therese Johaug announced via Instagram on May 26, 2025 that she would not be competing in the upcoming Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy. Johaug spent this past winter skiing for the Norwegian team after previously announcing her retirement in 2022. Despite still loving skiing, Johaug hopes to prioritize time with her family and will be cheering on her teammates from the sidelines in Cortina.

Johaug has a two-year old daughter with two-time Olympic rower, Nils Jakob Hoff.

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Johaug is one of the most successful Norwegian cross-country skiers and is known for pioneering an explosive style of racing that's trickled to other well-known skiers like Jessie Diggins.

Throughout her career, Johaug has won four Olympic gold medals competing for the Norwegian team. The 2026 games would have marked her fourth Olympics.

Johaug won her first Olympic gold in Vancouver in 2010 and three more at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing. She also won silver and bronze medals at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Johaug missed the 2018 Pyeongchang games due to a competition ban after she tested positive for an unintentional use of steroids via a topical ointment prescribed by her team physician.

In addition to her Olympic medals, Johaug also holds 23 World Championship medals, 14 of which are gold. This past March, Johaug won an additional four medals at Nordic Worlds in Trondheim, Norway.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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