Last winter, Mikael Gunnulfsen made his debut as a long-distance skier. He scored several good results for Team Koteng Eidissen in Ski Classics without training specifically for long-distance skiing. 

But the 29-year-old is aware that traditional cross-country skiing triggers and motivates him, specifically the World Cup and World Championships.

“I have turned 29 years old. I do not go for points in the Norwegian Cup anymore. Now it is the national team place in the World Championships I’m looking for,” he says to Langrenn.com.

In that context, the 50 kilometers classic during the World Championships in Planica 2023 tempts Gunnulfsen the most, in addition to the favorite distance of 15 kilometers. 

Long-distance skiing when the Olympics took place

Mikael Gunnulfsen made his debut in Ski Classics last winter mainly because he has still struggled with pain in his leg he broke just before the World Cup qualifier in 2021. It was the 15-kilometer race in the 2022 Olympics, his main goal for the season. 

But already, during the season opener in November, Gunnulfsen realized that the Beijing dream was, in reality, shattered. The pain meant that Gunnulfsen had to miss the classic race at Beitostølen, a race he had trained specifically for and which had been an important motivation throughout the training period. 

“I had an insane desire to defend the victory from the 15-kilometer at Beitostølen the year before. I had visualized every hill and turn in the course and raced in my head at every session in the run-up. So, it was a huge downturn when I realized that it would not go with the pain I had then,” he says.

Thus, Gunnulfsen looked for alternatives for international racing, with competitions where the injury would be a minor handicap than traditional cross-country skiing. Ski Classics filled a need last winter, but now it’s time for a change of scene.  

“The leg has not worked as I had wanted and hoped this winter. But from now on, everything is geared towards going fast in traditional cross-country skiing. The ambition is to race as many World Cup races as possible and assert me well enough to take a place in the World Championships in Planica,” says Gunnulfsen. 

At the same time, Gunnulfsen emphasizes that the winter’s long-distance racing has given some flavor. Among other things, the podium in La Diagonela in Switzerland in January and a solid 12th place in Vasaloppet in March are two of the season’s highlights. 

However, he is just as proud of the Norwegian Cup win in sprint. 

“Winning a Norgescup race was a milestone because I still benefited from it. And the fact that it was a sprint and a race where I did not double pole all the way means that it was extra fun,” says Gunnulfsen. 

In addition, the long-distance skiing success has made Gunnulfsen see himself as a more complete cross-country skier. Combined with a sprint victory in the Norwegian Cup and several podium places in the 15-kilometer nationally and in the Scandinavian Cup, Gunnulfsen thinks he has become more interesting for the World Championships. 

Is a place in the World Championship team within reach?  

“Yes.” 

How far is it?

“It depends on how you see it. But I’ve been in that discussion before, and I have not become a worse skier since then. I have become much better at double poling and generally in light terrain. And when I now ski 90 kilometers and take part in the game all the way to the finish in Vasaloppet and then win the Norwegian Cup sprint the following week, it shows that I have put in a lot of high-quality training over a long period of time.” 

What does it take to fulfill the World Championships dream?  

“I have to return to the level I had in November 2020. I have a job to do, but I have been there before.” 

The World Championships in Planica, Slovenia, will be held from February 22 to March 5, 2023.