Norway’s seven-time world champion Therese Johaug won her first world title today since 2015 in the women’s Skiathlon at the 2019 Nordic World Ski Championships in Seefeld, Austria. Johaug crossed the finish line with a time of 36 minutes 54.5 seconds.
Johaug returned to racing this season after being served an 18-month drug suspension for testing positive for the steroid clostebol in 2016.
Johaug said the infraction was unintentional, and due to her use of a lip cream to treat a cold sore which, unknown to her, included the banned substance. The mistake would be costly for the three-time Olympic medalist, who had won gold in Vancouver in 2010 as well as a silver and bronze medal four years later in Sochi.
Banned from competition, Johaug’s suspension forced her to miss the entire 2017-18 World Cup season, the 2017 World Championships as well as the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Games.
Johaug has been making up for lost time this season on the World Cup. Each time the 30-year-old Norwegian has appeared on the podium, she’s been at the top, winning nine races so far this season. And now she can add a world title to her list of accomplishments in 2019.
“I’ve been looking forward for this championship for over two years,” an emotional Johaug said after the race in Seefeld. “The last time I was in a championship was in Falun, four years ago. I’m training so much and working so hard for this, and all the team around me have helped me every time, so I’m really happy.”
Johaug crossed the finish line nearly a full minute ahead of silver medalist, and her countrywoman, Norway’s Ingvlid Flugstad Oestberg. Russia’s Natalia Nepryaeva finished off the podium, taking bronze.
The men’s Skiathlon came down to a three-way battle with just 2km to go in the 30km race. Norway’s Martin Johnsrud Sundby made a late push to jump ahead of Russia’s Alexander Bolshunov on an uphill climb. Another Norwegian, Sjur Roethe was also keeping pace with the lead group. But as the trio neared the end, Sunby lost his lead when Roethe’s skis ran faster on a downhill section leading into the final stretch.
With all three racers within a ski’s length of one another, Roethe crossed the finish line first, just a tenth of a second ahead of Bolshunov who was able to overtake a gassed Sundby in the final push to the finish.
Check out this weekend’s remaining schedule for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships and watch live on TV on Olympic Channel and online with OlympicChannel.com and NBC Sports Gold.
WORLD NORDIC SKIING CHAMPIONSHIPS -- Seefeld, Austria
| Day | Time (ET) | Event | TV | Stream |
| Saturday | 5:00 a.m. | Cross-Country: Women’s 15km Skiathlon | OlympicChannel.com/NBC Sports Gold | |
| 6:30 a.m. | Cross-Country: Men’s 30km Skiathlon | OlympicChannel.com/NBC Sports Gold | ||
| 8:30 a.m. | Cross-Country: Women’s 15km Skiathlon* | Olympic Channel | ||
| 8:30 a.m. | Ski Jumping: Men’s LH Final | OlympicChannel.com/NBC Sports Gold | ||
| 9:30 a.m. | Cross-Country: Men’s 30km Skiathlon* | Olympic Channel | ||
| 10:30 a.m. | Ski Jumping: Men’s LH Final* | Olympic Channel | ||
| Sunday | 4:30 a.m. | Nordic Combined: Team LH | OlympicChannel.com/NBC Sports Gold | |
| 5:30 a.m. | Cross-Country: M & W Team Sprint Final | OlympicChannel.com/NBC Sports Gold | ||
| 7:30 a.m. | Nordic Combined: Team Sprint | OlympicChannel.com/NBC Sports Gold | ||
| 8:45 a.m. | Ski jumping: Men’s LH Team Final* | OlympicChannel.com/NBC Sports Gold | ||
| 9:30 a.m. | Nordic Combined: Team LH* | Olympic Channel | ||
| 10:30 a.m. | Cross-Country: M&W Team Sprint Finals* | Olympic Channel | ||
| 2 p.m. | Nordic Combined: Team Sprint* | Olympic Channel | ||
| 3 p.m. | Ski Jumping: Men’s LH Team Final | Olympic Channel | ||
| 11:30 p.m. | Cross-Country: Women’s Team Sprint Final* | NBCSN |
*Same-day delay