He is too old at 39. And quickly naturalizing an over-age athlete with this lifestyle is not good for the image of Austria, says Austrian cross-country skiing chief Alois Stadlober at a press conference to the news agency APA.
Petter Northug has not competed since 2018. And after his career, his life has been marked by scandals. In December 2020, he was sentenced to seven months in prison for drug possession and four cases of speeding, three of which exceeded 200 kilometers per hour on 80-kilometer stretches.
Sports Director Mario Stecher says to APA that it would have been difficult, or even impossible, for Northug to get an Austrian passport considering the Norwegian's background.
He also says, as a reason for rejecting Northug, that Austria has "a good, young and ambitious team" that they want to develop together.
It would not be so smart to bring in such an established and eccentric person (to that group), says Stecher.
Petter Northug wants to make a comeback for the Olympic Games in Italy next year and the World Championship 2027 in Falun. But he does not qualify for the Norwegian national team. Therefore, he has tried to change nationality, where Liechtenstein and Austria were possible nations. Earlier, Liechtenstein has given him a no.
Corrected: In an earlier version, the cross-country skiing chief got the wrong name. Correct is Alois Stadlober. Additionally, a word in the first quote was translated incorrectly. It should be naturalize.
