As a child he dreamed of becoming a professional footballer, but felt he had a better future in skiing. "I thought cross-country was a slightly more fun way to go, and I had the greatest potential there."
Most influential person in career
His grandfather Kare. (aftenposten.no, 02 Dec 2016)
Hero / Idol
Norwegian cross-country skier Petter Northug, Norwegian footballer Per Ciljan Skjelbred. (nrk.no, 21 Nov 2016)
Ambitions
To be the world's best cross-country skier. (redbull.com, 14 Dec 2016)
Name of coach
Kare Hoesflot [grandfather], NOR
Training Regime
"To be the best, I have a simple philosophy. I exercise a lot and I have a great deal of Zone 1 [endurance] training. I believe that one must practice a lot, but in the right way. It's about exercising steadily throughout the season. Do not reduce it too much in spring and do not train too hard in early winter."
When and where did you begin this sport?
He got his first pair of skis at age two, and grew up playing football and skiing. After starting high school he began to focus solely on cross-country skiing.
Occupation
Athlete
Languages
English, Norwegian
Nicknames
Comet (nrk.no, 17 Mar 2017)
Sporting philosophy / motto
"There is a lot that motivates me, but the feeling of success is probably the biggest motivation. Once you are familiar with the feeling, it is impossible not to hunt for it." (redbull.com, 14 Dec 2016)
Other information
HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENT In 2017, at age 20, he became the youngest cross-country skier from any nation to become World Cup overall sprint champion, beating the previous record of Sweden's Teodor Peterson who was 23 when he won the overall sprint title in 2012. (adressa.no, 17 Mar 2017; fis-ski.com, 17 Mar 2017)
UNIQUE TECHNIQUE He has attracted attention for his unusual uphill skiing style, which is similar to the herringbone technique. He says he came up with the idea one day while talking with his grandfather and coach, Kare. "Herringbone is a bit of a forgotten technique, but I am trying to do my own thing. It's cool that my style is attracting notice, but now I imagine more people will do the same. If that happens, it will be up to me to develop it even further." (nrk.no, 28 Feb 2017; aftenposten.no, 27 Feb 2017)
GRANDFATHER'S GUIDANCE From a young age he has trained under the tutelage of his grandfather, Kare. "My grandfather means everything to me. He has been there from day one. He has been an incredible supporter of mine. From when I was a kid we always had regular training routines and would ski together once a week." (aftenposten.no, 02 Dec 2016)
