She admits that she does not deserve a place in the national team

Helen Marie Fossholm (22) has hardly had the best results in the past three years. She is ready to suffer the consequences.

Monday 25 March at 19:58

– No, the 22-year-old answers when VG asks if she deserves a place in the national team ahead of a very important World Cup season, the tournament being held on home soil in Trondheim.

– What do you think is the end result for the national team?

– I'm not the one who finds out. It's not up to me. Anyway, I will have a good plan whether I am in the national team or not. “So I'm very confident about that,” Fussholm says.

Fussholm has put three tough seasons behind him. The 2023/2024 season began with her not participating in ski racing due to her need to return to the joy of skiing.

The competition only started at the end of February. lhave Great varietyVossholm took a 10th place, a victory, a 14th place and a ninth place in three national races and one in the Scandinavian Cup..

However, she had a good run in last Saturday's three-mile race, the last ski race of the season, when she finished ninth, four minutes and 19 seconds behind the great Therese GoHugh.

Helen-Marie Fossisholm sent a powerful jab in the direction of NRK expert Martin Johnsrud Sundby after the race. See why here:

Viaplay expert Hans-Christer Holland has demolished Vusesholm and four other athletes from the national team next season. There is no indication that it will be allowed to continue.

But Vossholm stresses that it's the daily work that matters. She says she knows exactly what to do there, and adds that she has many nice people around her.

Also Thérèse Gohauge, who could be full speed ahead towards a comeback during next year's home World Cup.

– She can share her experience, she is someone I can train with and she is a good friend of mine.

When VG asked if it would be wise to stick with Johog and take a lot of advice from her in the lead-up to the season, Fussholm said “no.”

-But it's not worse that I can walk with slightly lighter wheels (you can use ski wheels with lighter resistance), but at least I won't run with them.

– It's just a matter of adapting. But I have to be logical – and then she adapts her advice to me. Trust me, she knows there's a difference between us.

Another who has struggled a lot this season is runner Ane Appelkvist Stenseth. The national team runner, unlike Vossholm, participated in a number of World Cup races, but failed to reach the final of the sprint.

In a conversation with VG after her 54th-place finish in the three-mile race at NM last Saturday, Stenseth said she was not satisfied with the season that went. She still believes she has made a lot of progress, but there was “a lot of pressure at the World Cup”.

– It was really bad. But I'm very excited for next year, but I just have to get my confidence back and maybe add a little more warm walking with the push and become more confident in that part.

When VG asks what's so bad that large parts of the women's national team have suffered so much from illness this season, Stenseth replies that she can only answer herself.

I started last year with surgery, later broke three ribs, and then on top of that illness caused huge gaps in my training diary again.

– Then you should consider how to take measures to be healthier. This year has been tough, and I don't think I've ever experienced anything like it with so much illness. We may have to dare to expose ourselves to more infections before the season starts.

– Be more prepared for the infectious period, which comes in December every year anyway. We had less infections when we didn't use masks. Maybe we should consider getting rid of them next year, says Stinth.