He won silver in the 10km classic at the Norwegian Championships, placed 12th in the skiathlon, and delivered strong performances in various selection races. The 31-year-old from the private team, Team Swix, has once again been overlooked by the national team leadership.

Both Mikael Gunnulfsen and his teammate, who won gold at the Norwegian Championships, finished more than half a minute ahead of all national team skiers in the 10km race and have reached the podium in the Scandinavian Cup. Despite this, neither has been selected for the upcoming World Cup rounds.

Moving to Ski Classics

Now, the 31-year-old is set to compete in Ski Classics, joining the long-distance team led by brothers Anders and Jørgen Aukland as early as next weekend. Team Ragde Charge manager Magnar Dalen confirmed the move to Langrenn.com.

“We’ve had contact with Mikael Gunnulfsen for a long time, but as an elite skier, you have dreams. He was aiming for both the World Championships in Trondheim and the World Cup. But now an opportunity has opened up, so he’ll give it a try,” Dalen said.

The plan, for now, is for Gunnulfsen to race two weekends for Team Ragde Charge while also continuing with traditional all-round skiing.

“He will still compete in regular cross-country skiing. So it’s not like he’s fully switching to long-distance racing for the rest of the season. But we’ll test him in Jizerská next weekend and Orsa first, then evaluate after that. We usually have new skiers go through a qualification period before making a final decision,” Dalen explained.

A Proven Long-Distance Competitor

Gunnulfsen is not entirely new to long-distance racing. The last time he competed in Ski Classics was in 2023, where he finished fifth in Jizerská and 15th in Marcialonga. He also has three podium finishes: a victory in Reistadløpet in 2019, third place in La Diagonela and Reistadløpet in 2022, and a 12th-place finish in Vasaloppet the same year.

“He hasn’t raced for us before, but we don’t see this as a big gamble. He’s a high-capacity skier with a strong engine,” Dalen said.

Supporting Role in the Team

Dalen made it clear that Gunnulfsen is initially expected to serve as a support skier for the team’s established leaders. Similarly to Mathias Aas Rolid, who joined the squad this season after a trial period in pre-season and early Ski Classics races before Christmas.

“Normally, newcomers start as support skiers, but sometimes you have a great day while the team leaders don’t. However, we emphasize having athletes who follow orders,” Dalen said, elaborating on the role:

“It means handing over poles if a team captain breaks theirs, chasing down breakaways if needed—those kinds of tasks.”

The final strategy for Jizerská will be decided just before the race. However, the team’s main contenders remain Johan Hoel, Kasper Stadaas, and Andreas Nygaard, the trio that claimed the overall podium in last season’s Ski Classics.

More Dropped Skiers Turn to Ski Classics

Gunnulfsen is not the only skier who has been disappointed with World Cup and World Championship selections. Nor is he the only one turning to Ski Classics and long-distance racing.

The day after the Norwegian World Championship team was announced—confirming Emil Iversen’s exclusion—the 33-year-old signed up for Marcialonga. He immediately traveled to Italy for the prestigious 70km Ski Classics race, finishing a solid 39th just four days after being dropped.

A Busy Year Ahead

On top of everything, Gunnulfsen is about to have a busy time at home as well—he and his wife are expecting their first child this spring.

Read more: Has the World Championship train left for Olle?