The cross-country ski star opens up about wild partying and drunken binges: In hindsight, the 24-year-old shakes his head at his own behavior.

He just had the best season of his career, marked by two major milestones: In mid-January, he claimed his first World Cup victory, and later secured silver in the 50km at the World Championships in Trondheim—his best placement at an international championship. In addition, William Poromaa earned a bronze in the relay at the World Championships and was recently named Male Cross-Country Skier of the Year.

Right now, the 24-year-old is taking time to enjoy his accomplishments and let the season sink in before diving into preparations for the next one—where the Olympics in Italy stand out as the clear highlight.

But Poromaa makes it clear he can’t celebrate and party the way he did the last time he won World Championship medals.

“I paid the price for that,” he says.

Traveled Around and Partied

When Poromaa won his first career World Championship medal in the 50km at the 2023 World Championships in Planica, he came close to losing his grip.

“It was a lot of partying, and it was fun. But it really takes a toll when you do it for an entire month,” he told Expressen.

“I was just traveling around and living like a rock star. And that doesn’t work very well with life as a cross-country skier in the long run,” Poromaa says, admitting that the partying had consequences.

The season that followed his success in Planica turned out to be a disappointment. He’s learned from that experience, and it’s changed his mindset.

“I feel like I’m in a different place now (compared to 2023). Back then, it was my very first medal, and I was floating on air afterward. Now it’s more like, ‘That was awesome, I did it — but next time I want gold.’”

And you didn’t feel that way after the World Championships in Planica?

“No. Back then, I didn’t care what I was doing. There was a lot of drinking and very little training, and I lost motivation. This time won’t be as destructive,” he says, and adds:

“Even though it was fun at the time.”

Also Read: William Poromaa victory – “I’ve always been a lone wolf”

Learning to Make Better Choices

The 24-year-old has learned his lesson. After taking silver in the 50km in Trondheim and wrapping up what has been his best season overall, he’s been more grounded.

“I’m not going to crash right away like I did last year. But there will be more (celebration) than after the 2023 season. Then I fell way too far behind,” he admits.

Now, the real preparation for the upcoming season begins, with the national team’s first training camp at the end of May.

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