Therese Johaug was mentally prepared for the 2026 Olympics. Then came the news that changed everything. Now, she reveals the real reason behind her career pause.

After her World Championships comeback, Therese Johaug spent a considerable amount of time deciding whether to continue her pursuit of the 2026 Winter Olympics. Most people in the skiing world, including experts, were convinced she would go for it — after all, there was no gold medal in Trondheim.

It wasn’t until May 26 that Johaug called a press conference to announce her decision, shocking everyone with her choice not to continue.

At the time, she explained her decision as being “for the sake of her family.” But the truth was different — she was unexpectedly pregnant.

Also Read – Johaug confirms: No Olympic comeback for Milano-Cortina 2026

Mentally set on the Olympics

In her new podcast “Johaug & Gukild“, which the 37-year-old hosts together with former NRK presenter Emil Gukild, Johaug revealed that the pregnancy came as a complete surprise.

She had been mentally preparing for the 2026 Olympics. Then suddenly, her heart rate spiked during training — and soon came the shocking message:

“You’re pregnant, my girl.” I was like, “Huh? Are you kidding me?” It hit me right out of the blue. I just thought, “Help, help,” with a thousand thoughts running through my head. So, no Olympics then,” Johaug explained on the podcast.

Mentally, she had been fully committed to giving everything for the 2026 Games.

Cried on the phone

Johaug described her experience that spring of training.

Even though she had often said she wanted more children, she hadn’t imagined getting pregnant at that moment.

“I called Pål Gunnar and cried. I just said, ‘I’ve hit the wall; I don’t recognize my body anymore,” said Johaug.

She took all kinds of tests to figure out what was happening — she actually thought she had overtrained after the World Championships. Then came the result: she was pregnant.

That changed everything.

“I called Nils Jakob, who was on his way to visit a friend in Drammen. He had to pull over and just said, “What? No, I can’t handle this.” He thought it would be a calm and quiet period. We were happy, of course, but it wasn’t planned,” Johaug said.

The baby is due on January 17, 2026, and Therese Johaug is already planning a comeback as a skier two months after giving birth.

Read More: Johaug plans comeback two months after giving birth

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