Klaebo backs Emil Iversen before season start: “I’m as nervous on his behalf as he is”

BEITOSTØLEN — Emil Iversen enters the Olympic season outside Norway’s national team and must impress from the very first races if he is to claim a spot for Milano–Cortina 2026. The 34‑year‑old aims to fight his way into the preliminary seven‑man Norwegian quota for the Games by skiing faster than the competition at the season opener in Beitostølen.

National team head coach Eirik Myhr Nossum makes the criteria plain: for skiers outside the squad to be considered for the Olympics, they have to race fast immediately. The weekend program at Beitostølen opens with a sprint on Friday 21 November, followed by a 10 km classic on Saturday and a 10 km freestyle on Sunday.

Iversen has chosen to skip the sprint to focus entirely on the two distance races. He admits that setbacks in recent years have made racing more stressful than before, but says he feels mentally calm and believes that is the mindset he needs to succeed.

Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, who trained closely with Iversen through the summer and autumn, says the veteran looks physically strong and has matched him in several areas, even if Klæbo retains an edge in race execution and technique. Klæbo rates Iversen’s current form as “five out of six” on his personal scale—good for November—and stresses that Iversen shouldn’t be at his absolute peak yet.

Klæbo outlines the brutal pathway: Iversen must ski fast at Beitostølen to earn a start in next weekend’s World Cup opener in Ruka. If he performs there and keeps racing well through December—ideally securing a place at the Tour de Ski—he can put one foot in the Olympic team. With roughly six weeks to prove himself, consistency from weekend to weekend will be essential for selection.

The article also notes the broader Olympic framing, with Eurosport promoting full coverage of Milano–Cortina 2026 on its platforms.