There is little time left until the start of the winter season and the current world champion, Johannes Klebo, has not yet signed an agreement with the Norwegian team. Why was a mystery to many.
Klebo previously spoke of a “bad attitude towards people” within the association, but did not elaborate. And now everything has fallen into place. Klebo’s military personal, Frode Pedersen, spoke about the harassment, the theft of Klebo’s lubricants and skis and the difficult environment.
How Klebo broke away from the national team:
“Shocking surprise.” Johannes Klebo decided to retire from the Norwegian national team
“A long period of dirt and attacks”
Frode Pedersen worked for nine years as a soldier for the Norwegian national team. And from 2017 to 2023 he was personally responsible for the skis of five-time Olympic champion Johannes Klebo. In June of this year, the country’s Ski Association did not renew Pedersen’s contract and he, in turn, made accusations against his former employer.
Frode said there is a lack of culture within the organization and members of the national team are subject to harassment and persecution.
“There is a lot going on behind the scenes, but people, unfortunately, don’t see it. I defend justice, honesty and respectful treatment of other people. It is these core values that are important to me. When, after the 2021/2022 season, I started talking about things that were not desirable for the Association, the atmosphere completely changed. The “chemistry” disappeared and a long period of filth and attacks began. Everything I said was used against me,” Pedersen said in a long interview.
“The atmosphere depressed me”
As it turned out, this was not the first time the Norwegian Ski Association had tried to remove Pedersen from the team. The first time this happened was before the 2021/2022 Olympic season. Then Klebo saved him personally. “They told me they didn’t need me anymore. Then Johannes intervened. In the end I stayed, but the atmosphere in the team was already bothering me.”
The atmosphere in the Norwegian team is really difficult:
“He broke an unwritten rule.” A young Norwegian from the national team was convicted for trying to overtake Klebo
It also became known that before the 2022/2023 season, Klebo and Pedersen signed a separate agreement between themselves, according to which Frode could leave at any time if the situation worsened. Pedersen talked about some of the elements of the toxic atmosphere:
“The atmosphere in the service group depressed me. He became less friendly. We didn’t have a relationship of trust. Mutual respect has disappeared. Sometimes, signs with insults may appear outside workplaces. This has not happened specifically to me, but it is unacceptable. “I don’t find it funny, that’s why I mentioned it.”
“Someone deliberately damaged Klebo’s skis”
Several times Froda had to literally fight for Klebo’s skis.
For example, at the Le Rousse World Championship, where Johannes won, Pedersen ran before the race in search of lubricants, which for some reason were not enough for Klebo. At the same time, it was announced that for each race there was a box of lubricant for each skier and two more in reserve.
“In January 2023, before the 20 km mass start in Les Rousses, the service simply did not have the necessary amount of lubricants to optimally prepare the skis of all team members. I immediately said I didn’t understand. I had to try the skis without finding a suitable alternative.
In the end I managed to find ointment for Johannes just before the start and still have the skis ready, but the situation was critical. “It was a big disappointment, because they promised there would be enough for everyone, and there was even a reserve.”
Johannes Klebo
Photo: Christophe Pallot/Getty Images
The difficulties did not end there. At the World Championships in Planica, a few days before the start of the 15 km race, Klebo’s best skis… disappeared.
“At first I thought I had mixed something myself and left it somewhere. But this has never happened to me. Two hours before departure, the missing skis suddenly appeared in their place, but there was no time to prepare. At night I discovered scratches on the surface of the skis, as if someone had run them on gravel. They were not suitable for racing. I immediately reported this to the head of the service and pointed out that it was unacceptable. Each pair has the athlete’s name. It is impossible to confuse them. “I don’t want to think badly of my teammates, but it seems like someone deliberately damaged Klebo’s skis.”
Start of investigation
Last summer, Frode approached Norwegian Ski Association president Tove Mo Dyrhaug, team manager Espen Bjervig and cross-country skiing committee head Torbjorn Skogstad. And on September 12, the Ski Association’s board of directors launched an investigation into bullying, harassment and discrimination under Norwegian law.
“In the ski federation we must have a work environment where you are treated with respect. We do not tolerate any form of harassment, discrimination or other inappropriate behavior towards colleagues,” said Arne Bauman, general secretary of the association.
“I’m glad there is a whistleblower case, but I was hoping this case would be taken seriously much sooner. I think it is now clearer why Johannes left the national team and what he means when he points out a bad attitude towards people”, Frode Pedersen summarized his story.
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