He earned a spot on the Norwegian World Championships team for Trondheim. He has won a World Cup sprint. Now he’s making a complete break and, surprisingly, joining Team Ragde Charge to focus on Ski Classics. Here, Håvard Solås Taugbøl talks about the sudden turn in his career.

The 31-year-old World Championships skier from Lillehammer says he no longer has the motivation to continue focusing on sprinting—even with the Olympic Games looming next season.

“I’ve told myself for the last five or six years that I’ll take it one year at a time. I’ve had a rule that it has to feel right. Instead of committing to four-year cycles, I’ve taken it one year at a time. And I’ve always tried to feel whether I have the motivation and joy needed to give it my all for another year—whether I’m ready to train better and take new steps,” Taugbøl tells gd.no.

He personally called national team coach Arild Monsen to inform him that he was quitting sprint skiing and shifting his focus to long-distance racing with Team Ragde Charge. His signing came as a surprise, as the Aukland brothers cut top names like Kasper Stadaas and Mathias Aas Rolid to bring in a sprinter—someone who normally races just over a kilometer and has no long-distance credentials.

“I’ve thought about it a bit and have always been a fan of long-distance races. I’m interested in giving it a shot. When I decided to float the idea and explore the possibility, I got in touch with Anders Aukland. I felt very motivated when they said they wanted me on the team. That gave me the motivation you absolutely need to perform at a high level. It made the decision easier,” says Taugbøl.

Also Read: Two top athletes leave Team Ragde Charge

He has competed in the World Cup since December 2013 and has been on the podium seven times. He won once in Dresden and claimed a World Championship bronze in Oberstdorf in 2021. This year’s World Championships in Trondheim were a disappointment, finishing 14th in the sprint.

“I’ve felt done with sprinting and the World Cup. Especially this winter, there have been many disappointments, and it’s cost more than it’s given back. I’m simply satisfied, and it’s really fun to try something new.”

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He’s not the first sprinter to make the switch to Ski Classics and long-distance racing. Both Johan Kjölstad and John Kristian Dahl were national team sprinters before transitioning to long-distance. The same goes for Stina Nilsson—though she took a detour into biathlon.

“I hope to find the same success they did, even though this is somewhat uncharted territory for me. Many have made the transition quite well, and I see some similarities. I’m strong in long roller ski races with a lot of double poling, and I have a good sprint finish. But you need to be in top shape just to make it to the final sprint, so there’s a lot of double poling work ahead of the winter.”

He also says the first year will be a time to learn, adapt, and get a feel for the level. Taugbøl believes his muscles will need to toughen up during this initial season before he can start delivering results in year two.

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