Therese Johaug dominated the 30km race at the Norwegian Championships, her first ski race against World Cup skiers since she retired after the 2022 Olympic season. Behind her, two long-distance skiing powerhouses battling for the podium: Magni Smedås, Team Eksjöhus, and Astrid Øyre Slind, Team Aker Dæhlie.

Less than two weeks ago, Magni Smedås won the Birkebeinerrennet with a solid margin. On Saturday, she took silver in the 30km race at the Norwegian Championships. For her, the race was an important opportunity to test her skating form and, more importantly, to showcase herself to the national team leadership ahead of the World Championships season.

“I’m aiming for the World Championships, and now I’ve submitted a strong application to the national team leadership, and then I’ll go home and skate a bit more towards next year,” says Smedås to Langrenn.com.

“I haven’t spoken to them since the season opener in Beitostølen in November. But then I told them about my plans, so they were fully aware. And Stig Rune (Kveen) has been my coach before, so he knows what I’m aiming for.”

At Beitostølen, Smedås finished sixth and seventh in the two distance races. And the 30km race at the Norwegian Championships was another impressive feat.

“It’s an incredibly strong performance by Magni. She’s good at long races, and she can ski fast on 10 kilometers as well, both skating and classic,” says women’s national team coach Stig Rune Kveen to Langrenn.com.

He would like to see more of the 28-year-old from Dalsbygda, Norway.

“We see that she can ski fast, so I hope she signs up and participates in some traditional ski races next year,” says Kveen.

Smedås has been part of Team Eksjöhus since May 2022 and is now completing her second season as a Ski Classics Pro Team athlete. Before that, she focused on traditional cross-country skiing with the regional team Elon Innlandet. But she has never skied faster than now.

Smedås believes that her long-distance skiing commitment is the reason for her improvement, and even though she is aiming for the World Championships, she has no intention of changing that.

“I feel very comfortable at Team Eksjöhus now, with Marthe Kristoffersen as a coach and the platform that Espen Trædal has built. We are a great group, and I feel that I get the support I need to pursue skiing, and I’m making progress to become a better skier day by day.”

Crushing Competitors in the Comeback 

However, there was little to do against comeback sensation Therese Johaug: The 35-year-old crushed the competition in her first ski race at the elite level since she retired after the 2022 Olympic season and less than a year after becoming a mother for the first time.

At the finish line, Johaug was almost three minutes ahead of the next skier. American Sophia Laukli had the second-best time. She finished in second place, two seconds ahead of Magni Smedås.

What do you think of what Therese Johaug did last weekend, winning by almost three minutes?

“It’s huge. We know what she’s made of. She has trained well both during pregnancy and afterward and probably has more to give. She has an incredible level. She will be a force to reckon with in the World Championships next year.”