Motivation 'not a problem' for dominant Klaebo

He is a nine-time world champion with five Olympic gold medals and has dominated the Coop FIS Cross-Country World Cup for years.

Since 2018, Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo has claimed four of six overall World Cup titles, finishing second and third in the two other seasons, and has won 68 individual World Cup races.

Coming into the new season, however, the 27-year-old is not short of motivation to keep wanting more.

"Now it's very easy to motivate oneself," he said, admitting that the 2025 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in his hometown Trondheim, Norway, are already on his mind.

"One thing is this season, but world championships on home snow, an Olympic Games in Italy in 2026 and a world championships in Sweden in 2027 – I rate those three championships highly so just mention them and motivation is nothing I've got any problems with."

The fourth World Cup stop, in Trondheim on 15-17 December, will therefore be special for Klaebo.

"To compete at home is always nice so it is natural that it will be an extra exciting World Cup weekend, there's no doubt about that," said Klaebo, who has missed some pre-season competitions due to illness.

"We will try to do our best that weekend and be well-prepared. I hope to be done with all the sickness things and be back to a somehow good shape by then. That's the aim, so Trondheim will be important and definitely a race I'm very keen to go fast in."

Klaebo won 20 individual World Cup events last season, equalling his compatriot Therese Johaug's record for the most such victories in a single campaign. Klaebo claimed the overall crystal globe almost 500 points ahead of runner-up Paal Golberg (NOR). He also won a third consecutive Tour de Ski and claimed five medals – three gold and two silver – at the 2023 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Planica, Slovenia.

He finished off the season by winning the 10km race at the Norwegian championships on 30 March.

By May, he was ready to go again.

"When the season is over there's a period where you take it easy, and then I've been on holiday, I've been to some warmer places and hung out with friends. Then at the end of May or beginning of June you start training and then it's full-on again. The summer has gone quickly and now we suddenly have to start again," Klaebo said.

Between relaxing by the pool and giving it all on the cross-country track, he knows what he prefers.

"Of course it's nice with a season break when you're done, but you don't need that many days on the sunbed before you feel ready to get going again. There's nothing better than travelling around Europe skiing and having people coming to watch us, we are so privileged," he said.

"I'm ready to get going again and happy to be competing again. That's much more rewarding than lying on the sunbed."

This season, it is not only Europeans who will get to see Klaebo in action. On 9-13 February, the World Cup will visit Canmore, Canada for the first time since 2016. The week after, the US will host a tour event for the first time in more than 20 years, in Minneapolis.

"I'm looking forward to that," Klaebo said. "It will be nice to go across the pond and have some nice races there.

"I definitely think that the interest for cross-country skiing over there is on the rise and it seems like the interest is high as the tickets sold out in four-five minutes and that is promising.

"I've been to the US training for the past two years, I enjoy it there so it's obviously a couple of weeks to look forward to, with both Canada and USA, which will be nice experiences."

Another highlight of the season is the Tour de Ski, in Toblach (ITA), Davos, (SUI) and Val Di Fiemme (ITA) from 30 December to 7 January. Should Klaebo win, it would be his fourth consecutive Tour de Ski title, equalling the record held jointly by Dario Cologna (SUI) and Justyna Kowalczyk (POL).

"Tour de Ski is obviously going to be important, if you talk about fighting for the crystal globe. But the starting point now is just to go ski racing, enjoying doing that and then I hope to be well-prepared enough to be there fighting for some good rankings," Klaebo said.

His focus is more on the present than on equalling Cologna and Kowalczyk's record.

"I'm not spending a lot of time thinking about that. What happens now happens, and then we can count everything when we are done," he said.

"I'm just trying to get as well prepared as possible for Tour de Ski and for what happens there. It will be exciting to see – there are many others who are ready to go fast in Tour de Ski too, so there will for sure be a tough competition. I will do as well as I can and then we will see on 7 January what the status is then."

Which other skiers should fans look out for?

"I'm sure there will be plenty," Klaebo said. "Iivo (Niskanen, FIN) is ready to get back on it again, he's showing that he is up there. We saw that in Muonio (FIN) the other weekend (where Niskanen crushed the competition in the 10km classic race).

"William Poromaa (SWE) is definitely up there. He showed at the end of the last season that he's keen to fight for the podium spots. Then there have been some Norwegians who have shown that they for sure will be up there – Paal (Golberg) and for sure others from the distance team, who will have a goal to be up there. So I think there will be plenty, it will be a tough one for the legs."

Klaebo also believes his fellow Norwegian Mattis Stenshagen could break through this season.

"He is the same age as me but he has needed a bit more time. We competed a lot when we were younger and he is someone I definitely think will take a huge step in the right direction this year and will be ready to fight for the podium spots, especially in the distance races," Klaebo said, adding that China's Wang Qiang will be a sprinter to look out for.

"He looks like he is back in competition now and I am happy to see that."

A new season always means some new faces on the tour, and Klaebo is always happy to help and advise them – even though it could be one of them stealing his crown in the future.

"It's always nice and inspiring when new young skiers come up, regardless of them being from Norway, Sweden or other nations," he said.

"They've often got a different way of thinking and a lot of new things to learn, so I always think it is interesting when there are new ones coming up. Then it's all about staying ahead and talking to them. That's inspiring for us who are becoming a little bit more grown-up."

For anyone who has seen Klaebo's results from the past years it will make a lot of sense when he says he has not changed much in his training coming into this season.

"There are of course some smaller adjustments, to keep getting better and better, but the majority of the training is things that I've already done before because you know it works," he said.

One thing he did not win last year was the overall distance crystal globe, which Golberg got his hands on, pushing Klaebo into second place.

"The goal has always been to start with the sprints and to then get into the distance races," Klaebo said.

"But I've got better and better in the distance and I feel like I'm on the right track, so I will do what I can there and hopefully fight for more victories there. That's a natural goal."

The Norwegian superstar has a tendency to reach his goals. Already with the 2027 world championships in mind, it is safe to say Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo will be chasing glory for many years to come.

"I aim for that," he said.

"It is easy to compete when you're in good shape and can fight for the victories. If I had been competing far in the back, I think I'd found something else to do."