Therese Johaug revealed this week that she deliberately lied about why she skipped the last World Cup round before the 2025 World Championships in Trondheim. The confession has sparked strong reactions — especially from Swedish star Ebba Andersson.

“What she did just seems stupid,” Andersson told Expressen.

Ebba Andersson referred to Johaug’s unexpected withdrawal from the World Cup in Falun in February. Just one day before the final round ahead of the World Championships, Johaug announced she would not start — claiming it was only to prepare optimally for the championships.

“Now I’m making another change and will skip Falun to prepare as best as possible for the World Championships. I’m not sick!” Johaug said in a press release at the time.

Later, she admitted that this was not true. The real reason: she had come down with a disease.

“A white lie? Yes, you could say that. But you want to keep a lid on a situation like that. There was a tactic behind it,” explained national team coach Pål Gunnar Mikkelsplass to Expressen in September.

Ebba Andersson, now 28, questions Johaug’s choice to lie.

“Why didn’t she just say it then? It might have taken some pressure and expectations off her,” she said.

According to Andersson, many athletes already knew Johaug was hiding the truth before the championships.

“We skiers talk a lot among ourselves, so I was aware of it,” she said.

Andersson added that she would have handled the situation differently.

“I would have been honest about what happened — said that I hadn’t had the best preparation. What she did just seems stupid, especially when you reveal it afterward, based on how things went,” Andersson said, suggesting it now sounds like an excuse.

Coach Mikkelsplass also acknowledged that it might have been a mistake to lie.

“Perhaps it would have been better if we had been open about the illness before the World Cup. It’s usually best to be as honest as possible. Then you don’t have to hide anything,” he said.

New lie about the Olympics

And now, a few months later, another lie has come to light. After the World Championships disappointment, many expected Johaug to continue toward the 2026 Olympics. In May, however, she shocked the ski world by announcing her retirement, citing “family reasons.”

Also Read – Johaug confirms: No Olympic comeback for Milano-Cortina 2026

This week, Johaug admitted that the explanation wasn’t accurate either — she had been mentally preparing for the Olympics, but an unexpected pregnancy changed everything.

Read More: Pregnancy stopped Johaug’s 2026 Olympic dream

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