Her sister has moved out, and Tiril Udnes Weng is now living alone – but more motivated than ever. “It started to feel a bit embarrassing,” she admits.

For 28 years, Lotta and Tiril Udnes Weng lived together. Now, for the first time in their lives, they live apart.

“It started to feel a bit embarrassing to say you still lived with your sister when you’re almost 30. The time had come to be a bit more independent,” says Tiril Udnes Weng to NTB.

Lotta has moved back to Lillehammer, where the sisters lived before moving to Trondheim in 2023 to prepare for the World Championships in Granåsen. Tiril, however, has stayed behind in “the city of mustaches.”

But the separation might not last long. Lotta is working hard to convince her twin to move closer again.

“There’s a propaganda campaign going on to get Tiril back to Lillehammer. I think it’s going to succeed,” Lotta tells NTB.

Tiril admits that her sister means a lot to her – both as a training partner and as a source of motivation. She noticed that most clearly during the two seasons they weren’t training and racing together.

Fighting for a comeback

In March 2023, Tiril Udnes Weng was at the top of the World – World Cup overall champion, World Champion, one of the biggest names in cross-country skiing. Six months later, she was lying on the couch, exhausted from Covid, watching the season opener on TV.

She struggled through last season, spent the summer and autumn rebuilding, and arrived in top form for Beitostølen – only to fall ill again in early December. This time it was mononucleosis, and her body shut down. The World Championships in Trondheim were over before they began.

Also Read: Tiril Udnes Weng is back to racing mode

It wasn’t until March this year that Udnes Weng could finally resume training. What she found was a body in far worse shape than she expected.

“It was tough. Really tough. I’ll never let myself fall that far behind again. It was awful. Even short sessions felt brutal. I knew it would be bad, but it was still a shock,” Udnes Weng told Langrenn.com earlier this spring.

But she never doubted her goal. This winter, all focus is on the 2026 Winter Olympics in Val di Fiemme.

“The goal is still the same – to be the best in the World. But the path will be a bit different this time. First, I need a body that can handle hard training,” says Udnes Weng.

Now, just a few weeks before the traditional season opener in Beitostølen (November 21–23), she finally feels ready.

“I’ve been able to train properly for quite some time now, so I’m very optimistic about having a much better season,” she says.

Hungry for revenge

After two difficult seasons with almost no racing, Tiril Udnes Weng is eager to prove herself again.

“There’s really no option for another bad season. I can’t expect to be as good as in 2023, but I can be close.”

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