Marit Bjørgen has got a new job. Next season, the 43-year-old will be a cross-country skiing expert on TV for Viaplay. 

In the new job, Bjørgen will work with skiers she was together on the national team: Maiken Caspersen Falla and Hans Christer Holund. She took over Martin Johnsrud Sundby’s role for the channel’s winter sports studio. 

Maiken Caspersen Falla retired after the 2022 Olympic season and became a mother earlier this spring. Holund ended his professional career in April this year, the day before the presentation of the Norwegian national teams for the 2023/2024 season.

Read More – Norwegian cross-country skier ends career: “It was a difficult choice”

Clear message to the athletes

Bjørgen promises to be honest as a cross-country skiing expert and is already sending a clear message to the skiers: they are responsible for people choosing to watch cross-country skiing. 

“The cross-country skiers have to think that if our sport is to survive, it is extremely important that they expose themselves; that is part of the job. They have to show tears of joy, sadness, some cursing, and frustration, says Bjørgen to VG. 

Marit reminds us that although cross-country skiing is Norway’s national sport, the sport fights for people’s attention. They must contribute to winning that match. 

“Cross-country skiing is strong in Norway. Soon there will be the World Championships in Trondheim, which will help to create a lot of interest. We have Klæbo and Skistad. But the skiers must participate and contribute to creating interest. They have to reveal themselves, with ups and downs, that creates emotions in people,” says Bjørgen.

Bjørgen will mainly work from Viaplay’s studio in Oslo but will also be out in the field at some World Cup rounds. Then she will, among other things, work with another national team colleague: Niklas Dyrhaug. 

Fantastic career 

Marit Bjørgen was part of the Norwegian national cross-country skiing team for almost 20 years and attended the World Cup from 1999 to 2018. Despite some difficult seasons from 2006 to 2009, she is the winningest Winter Olympian with 15 Olympic medals: eight gold, four silver, and three bronze. Bjørgen also has 26 World Championships medals, including 18 gold and 114 individual World Cup victories. 

After Bjørgen ended her career at the World Cup level, she invested in long-distance skiing for two seasons with the Aukland brothers’ team. At Ski Classics, she got second place from Vasaloppet 2021 as her best result.