Video: This young talent will help Emil Iversen make a comeback at the 2025 World Championships.

While many of the world’s elite skiers tested their strength at the Blink Festival last week, a considerable part of Team Northcom used the time to lay the foundations for the 2025 World Championships: Emil Iversen, Pål Trøan Aune, and Matz William Jenssen ran the first joint hard session of the season. The program included six times eight-minute intervals from the fire station at Smestad to Tryvann in Oslo.

The session was also the first common practice for Iversen and Jenssen after Iversen joined Team Northcom earlier this summer, in addition to his private team. Jenssen joined Team Northcom already last year. Both hope to exploit each other’s expertise on the way to their big career goals.

And after the first joint session, Jenssen receives solid praise from Team Ivers. Both Emil Iversen and his brother Mats, who is a crucial person in the training plan for Emil, are impressed by Jenssen’s technical skills in sprinting.

“After what we saw from Matz during last year’s season, he is a skier with every opportunity to step up another notch and fight for the final places in the World Cup this winter. Few skiers have had better sprint development than he has shown in the last year. And that he seems to have an X-factor which means that he performs when he has to and is good in heats,” says Mats Iversen to Langrenn.com.

He sees that the talent in Team Northcom will play an essential role in the comeback project:

“Matz has enough speed skills that Emil struggles to match, so it can be excellent for Emil to run sprints and speed sessions with Matz (and Pål Trøan Aune) to try to get up to a high level in sprints again,” he says.

Mats Iversen also sees great potential in Jenssen in addition to sprinting.

“If he gets a little closer to Emil in terms of endurance, on threshold intervals like the one we ran in Oslo, he will be difficult to beat,” Iversen predicts.

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Can help raise the level

The 22-year-old is humble about what he can bring to Emil Iversen but believes in his competence and potential, especially in sprints. In that context, he hopes to contribute to helping the World Champion rise another notch.

“Emil has a lot of experience and knows what is required. But I often do well in technical sprints, and I’m probably best at maintaining high speed in corners. We will have some speed sessions together in the autumn, so maybe I can share some of my experiences there,” says Jenssen to Langrenn.com.

For his part, he believes his new teammate will be a crucial partner.

“Of course, it’s cool to train with a World Champion. I have a lot to learn from him, in training sessions, but also about how he thinks and mental training, and how he manages everyday life,” says Jenssen, and adds:

“We know what Emil is good for when he is in shape. And he’s particularly good at finishing strong even when he’s tired. I am excited to learn more about how he maintains technique and speed when he is tired. So far, I have been the best in sprints, but I want to improve at distance.”

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Towards the same goal: the 2025 World Championships

 Iversen and Jenssen see Team Northcom as an important part of the plan that will lead to a comeback for Iversen and an international breakthrough for Jenssen. Iversen is aiming for a place in the Norwegian squad for the 2025 World Championships in Trondheim, Norway. Jenssen also wants a spot.

“For the coming winter, the U23 World Championships is the focus. If I make the team there, winning a medal is a definite goal. I think it is possible and realistic. But there are two major championships in two and three years: the 2025 World Championships and the 2026 Olympics. That is the long-term goal,” Jenssen says.

Definitive answer in less than two weeks 

At the Toppidrettsveka (Top Sports Week) in less than two weeks, Iversen and Jenssen will have the first opportunity to test themselves against the world’s elite. Both are registered for the four-day roller ski tour in Norway. 

Several of the best World Cup skiers will be present, as the races in Granåsen during the event are a chance to test the tracks that will be used during the 2025 World Championships.

Also read: The favorite training session that will ensure Emil Iversen’s comeback