Two years ago, he was close to retiring. Now, the 26-year-old French star faces perhaps his biggest challenge yet. On Friday, he makes his season debut against Johannes Høsflot Klæbo.

From being a national team reject and “filler” to an Olympic medalist: in less than a year, Victor Lovera has emerged as one of France’s most promising athletes. He achieved five top-20 finishes in the World Cup, more than in his entire career prior to 2025/2026, and led France to Olympic silver.

Now, the 26-year-old from Chartreuse in the Alps has moved to Lillehammer to train among the world’s best, and as the 2027 World Championship season approaches, his ambitions are sky-high. 

“I have laid out a plan for the next four years, but I also have a dream: to win Olympic gold in the relay in 2030, at home in France,” he reveals to Langrenn.com.

To achieve this, Lovera must beat Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, the man who won six golds out of six possible at this winter’s Olympics and has stated he aims to compete at least through the next Olympics. 

That’s why he chose to spend the summer training in Lillehammer, where he trains with and among the best in the world. July was the biggest training month of his life so far, and on Friday, he will get his first answers. Both Lovera and Klæbo will make their season debuts at Toppidrettsveka, with the long-distance race in Hitra as the first competition.

Also Read: Lovera to train in Lillehammer this summer

Almost called it quits at 24

That Lovera would lead France to silver in the Olympic relay is no given. The road to the top has been rough, marked by setbacks and uncertainty. Two years ago, he was close to retiring at just 24 years old. 

“I have had many difficult seasons in the past and have been dropped from the French national team several times,” Lovera recounts.

“Two years ago, I thought it would be my last season. But then I finally made it onto the World Cup team and achieved my first top ten finish.”

Still, he barely secured a spot on the Olympic team this winter.

“The start of last season was not easy either, and I had almost given up on making it to the Olympics. But I kept training, and everything fell into place at just the right moment, right before the final selection,” says Lovera.

The 26-year-old thanked the trust placed in him by securing French Olympic silver in the relay, where he ran the anchor leg, along with three individual top-15 finishes. 

“It’s hard to put into words, but I believe running the anchor leg in the relay at the Olympics in Val di Fiemme will be one of the best moments of my life,” says Lovera, continuing. 

“I had the opportunity to carry the French flag the last hundred meters, and it means so much to take Olympic silver. I never gave up, and I am proud of the journey I have taken. Sharing that moment with friends, teammates, and my family was incredible. Recently, I have understood how important it is to share these great moments with the people around you. It makes all these feelings and achievements even stronger for me.”

Read More: French cross-country skiing teams for season 2026/2027

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Switched out his entire ski setup

Before the 2025/2026 Olympic season, Lovera felt he needed to make a change to take new steps. He decided to switch out his entire ski setup.

“It was a risky choice to change equipment right before such a big goal, but I decided to do it because I wanted a closer collaboration with my ski manufacturer. I wanted it to feel almost like a family, where everyone works together and tries to improve every single day. And I am very satisfied with that after this first season,” says Lovera, continuing:

“For example, when we decided that I would switch to 202-centimeter classic skis in the middle of the season, just before the Olympics, everyone at the factory jumped in and reacted very quickly. Afterwards, I had the best classic race of my life in the Olympic 50km, with what I honestly believe are the best classic skis I have ever had.”

Has laid out a new plan

The Olympic breakthrough has changed more than just Lovera’s results. It has given him a completely new approach to his career.

“There is, of course, a lot of training behind the breakthrough, but I also started to enjoy what I was doing more and more. I became more confident in myself,” says Lovera. 

For the first time, he has begun to think long-term. After the season, he sat down, wrote down his thoughts, and created a master plan for the next step in his career.

“Now I dream of gold at the Olympics in 2030,” he says.

“Of course, there are many steps to take, and I know I have a very long way to go. But having that goal in mind will keep me motivated for the next four years.”

Making a new move: “I want to take some risks”

Despite the breakthrough and Olympic success, Lovera felt he was still missing something in his training regimen.

“I realized during the Olympics this winter that I needed to invest even more in my career,” says Lovera. 

“I want to train more, but I also want to take some risks because I don’t want to stay around the top ten or top fifteen. So I want to take a new step and improve.”

Lovera decided to leave the French national team during the season preparation to train and prepare for his next challenge in Lillehammer.

Now he is settled in, and what he has found is a paradise for aspiring cross-country skiers. 

“Everyone here trains all the time, and it’s probably one of the best places in the world to be a cross-country skier. I am really looking forward to standing on the starting line at the next World Championships in Falun.”

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