– And it’s a bit early, the Trønder admits to TV 2.
Iversen had reported in good shape in advance, but had no kjangs in the ten kilometer freestyle during the NM at Beitostølen.
The 32-year-old finished in 52nd place, two minutes and 18 seconds behind the winner Gjøran Tefre.
– It was bad, yes. It wasn’t any fun. It was surprising, because it has felt good for a long time. Today there was something that was really “good”. So I’ll see how it develops, says Iversen.
He doesn’t know what was wrong.
As recently as January, Iversen won a race in the Scandinavian Cup, the level below the World Cup.
– It was really hard after I passed out of the stadium. Then I started to get tired. Then there are 9.9 kilometers left. I don’t have a very good answer, because it has felt really good and the skating has started to get really good. It wasn’t what I was hoping for today.
BLYTUNGT: Emil Iversen says he got it after only one hundred meters in the NM trails at Beitostølen. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB
– How surprised are you?
– I’m a bit shocked that I’m in such bad shape, I didn’t see it coming. There were no indications of that, really. That’s what’s a bit exciting. You can feel good, and then it can go straight to hell.
Then the question is whether it was just a bad day for the man with WC gold in the five-mile.
– The form is very good, but today it was horribly bad form. I’ll get to feel the body a bit tomorrow. Fortunately, I’m not going, Iversen continues.
He will be in the fire again on Saturday.
Then there is a skiathlon on the program.
– I have been training and was a little sick not so long ago. I felt in many ways that I had gotten rid of it, so I don’t have a good answer today. It was terrible to walk. I can hardly remember ever being this heavy.
He describes:
– It was absolutely sick. It felt like I had never exercised before. It doesn’t match how I’ve felt earlier in the week and the week before.