Norwegian star skier Petter Northug admits cocaine and speeding charge

Petter Northug announced his retirement in 2018
Petter Northug announced his retirement in 2018 Copyright Ole Martin Wold/AP
By Michael Daventry
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The two-time Olympic champion is charged with possession and driving under the influence of drugs after saying he made a 'big mistake'

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One of Norway's most decorated skiers has admitted possessing cocaine and driving while under the influence of drugs.

Petter Northug, who has two Olympic and 13 world championships in cross-country skiing, will face three preliminary charges ahead of a trial, prosecutors confirmed on Monday.

In a Facebook post Northung confirmed he had been stopped for speeding by police last Thursday.

"I made a big mistake," he wrote. "I was driving way too fast and was also taken to the emergency room for blood test.

"In addition, the police found a smaller amount of drugs at my house. It's cocaine."

Jeg har gjort en stor feil. I går kveld ble jeg stoppet av politiet i fartskontroll. Jeg kjørte altfor fort, og ble også...

Publiée par Petter Northug sur Vendredi 14 août 2020

Northug, 34, was widely considered a potential future star in his earlier years and had sponsors queuing to sign him as a teenager.

He won two Olympic gold medals at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.

But in later years he struggled to recover from a series of injuries and setbacks.

He was convicted in 2014 of drink-driving and sentenced to 50 days in prison after crashing his car and fleeing the scene. He pleaded guilty and wore an electronic tag for the duration of the sentence.

He retired after failing to become fit in time for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

The Norwegian tabloid Verdens Gangreported he had been stopped by police after driving 168 km per hour in a 110 km/h zone.

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