He was suspended from the Olympics and stabbed by the national team for the first time in 15 years.
Engfeld Flugstad Ostberg, 31, is now talking about the crisis.
– I wondered if it was worth it, she tells the Norwegian media.
Ingvild Flugstad Östberg belonged to the world elite for ten years and was one of the brightest stars of Norwegian skiing.
But recently, the double Olympic champion has struggled with health issues and has been banned from competing twice.
Last week, she was told that she would be expelled from the national team for the first time in 15 years.
“No guarantees”
But despite the setbacks, I decided to keep going.
– Of course I had to take some time to think and thought about the idea: “Is it really worth it?”. But I landed at it I want to try. Then there are no guarantees of how fast it will go or how things will be, VG tells.
Being outside the national team will be a whole new challenge.
– You will feel special. I have been with the national team for 14-15 years. It would be different, but I still got excited.
Stop from the Olympics
In November 2021, Ostberg returned to competition after an absence of 636 days. Every now and then she looked forward to the Olympics. But after three races, she was again suspended because she did not meet health standards and her Olympic dreams were shattered.
For Norwegian TV2, she describes it as the biggest ordeal of her entire career.
– It was really hard. There were periods when I didn’t feel well, especially the last weeks before the Olympics. Mathematically speaking, this is the worst feeling I’ve ever had, she says.
Every now and then I lived thinking I could win a medal at the Olympics. It may sound completely unrealistic, but that’s how it felt and it really hurts not to get a chance to try.