Therese Johaug is expecting a baby in January and heading to the Olympics in February. Now she’s firing back at critics who believe she should stay home.

Therese Johaug is going to the 2026 Olympics. The Winter Games in Milano-Cortina in February will be her fourth Olympics—but her first without a bib number.

This time, she’ll be in the commentary booth instead. After announcing that she would not aim for this winter’s Olympics as an athlete, Johaug has returned to her role as a cross-country skiing expert for NRK.

The 2026 Olympics will be held in Milano-Cortina from February 6 to 22, just a few weeks after her due date of January 17. But the 37-year-old expects that everything will go smoothly.

Also Read: Program for cross-country skiing at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics

Expects criticism from the “mom police”

Johaug expects that her decision may draw criticism but insists that no “mom police” will tell her how to prioritize her life. She calls that kind of attitude a double standard.

“If it had been the man, he would have gone. And he would have gone without the child and without his wife in tow,” Johaug told NRK.

Johaug says this feels right for her, though she respects that others may choose differently.

“I believe everything is about mindset. You can achieve what you want to achieve. The most important thing is that people are allowed to do what feels right for themselves, and that the ‘mom police’ shouldn’t have an opinion,” she said.

Read More: Johaug plans comeback two months after giving birth

Logistics already planned

Since the Winter Olympics will take place only a few weeks after her due date, Johaug has already found a practical solution. For the first two weeks of the Games, she plans to cover events from Norway.

Then, during the final week of the Olympics, she intends to travel to Italy with her husband and their children, making them a family of four. The cross-country skiing star from Norway and her husband, Nils Jakob Hoff, already have a daughter, Kristin, born on May 17, 2023.

Also Read: Where to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics

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