Johannes Høsflot Klæbo is in negotiations with the Norwegian Ski Association regarding his contract for the upcoming season. Here are the star skier’s main demands.

Johannes Høsflot Klæbo has had a special agreement with the Norwegian Ski Association over the past two seasons, allowing him considerable freedom. Now that the agreement has expired, the Association indicates that they are not willing to grant him the same level of freedom in a new contract.

Anticipating a lengthy process

Klæbo’s media contact, Lasse Gimnes, confirms to several outlets that they are in dialogue with the Ski Association regarding an agreement. He also states that he cannot predict how long this process will take.

“It will likely take some time before decisions are made in either direction,” Klæbo’s advisor Lasse Gimnes tells NRK.

Klæbo’s demands

Klæbo’s demands can be summarized in three main points:

1. Athletic freedom

Klæbo wants the freedom to continue following his own training regimen, including his own altitude training camps.

2. Cost coverage

Klæbo seeks financial support from the Ski Association to cover part of the costs associated with his independent training, as he will not be participating in the national team’s training camps and thus will not incur expenses there.

3. Commercial limitations

Klæbo demands clear guidelines regarding how and to what extent he can engage in commercial activities. He has previously expressed frustration over having to shoulder too much of the sponsorship responsibilities for the national team.

Last time took eight months

The last time Klæbo sought an exemption from the national team, during the 2023/2024 season, negotiations continued until the week before the season opener at Beitostølen at the end of November.

In April 2024, Klæbo returned to the national team, signing a two-year contract with the Ski Association through the 2025/2026 season.

Threat of competition ban

According to several media reports, the Association argues that it may be difficult for athletes who decline national team spots to represent Norway in the World Cup. Selection for championships is based on World Cup results.

This pressure has led athletes like Karoline Simpson-Larsen from Team Anlegg Øst to join the national team for the upcoming season.

However, the Association’s threat holds little weight for Klæbo in practice.

As the overall winner of this year’s World Cup, the 29-year-old has a personal exemption for the entire first period. Additionally, Klæbo has an exemption for all individual events at the World Championships as the defending champion from the 2025 championships, where he won six gold medals out of six possible.

Significant tightening

Slind has applied for an exemption from the national team every year since her breakthrough in the 2022/2023 season. So far, she has received exemptions, but last year it took nearly six months, not until the end of September. This year, she has been denied.

Thus, three out of the three women who applied for exemptions have been denied. It is the cross-country committee within the Ski Association that processes these applications.

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