"If there's anyone who can do it, it's Therese. Then, of course, the qualifying standards are brutal. It's awesome to be able to take part in a Summer Olympics," Bjørgen tells Norwegian news agency NTB.
The qualifying time will be a challenge. Before the Paris Olympics, the time limit was 2:26:50. Johaug has not yet announced whether she intends to run a marathon in the near future.
Johaug got her blood pumping after the half marathon in Copenhagen on September 20, where she set a personal best of 1:08:43. Now, an Olympic start in the marathon is tempting.
"Maybe I should do it! It would have been really cool to be in a Summer Olympics, if you managed to qualify," Johaug said on the podcast "Gukild & Johaug" at the end of September.
