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Oslo (AFP)

The bad boy of Norwegian cross-country skiing, double Olympic gold medallist and 13-time world champion Petter Northug, announced his retirement on Wednesday at age 32 after struggling to regain his form.

"I've decided to quit," a tearful Northug told a press conference in Trondheim.

Northug is one of the most accomplished cross-country skiers in history, having won four Olympic medals -- including two golds at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver -- as well as 13 world championship titles and 38 individual World Cup victories.

But he has struggled for the past two seasons with health problems and poor performances, failing to make the cut for Norways's team for this year's Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

"I did what I could to regain my form to try to make the national team but, these past two weeks, I realised I was just too far from that goal," he said.

Northug is as well-known for his bad boy antics as his sporting performances.

Over the years he has ruthlessly needled his rivals, with a sarcastic sense of humour and arrogance uncommon in Scandinavia. He has also regularly taken digs at his teammates, all of which led to greater interest in the sport.

Northug also clashed repeatedly with the Norwegian ski federation, and made headlines in 2014 when he caused a road accident while intoxicated and then fled the scene.

© 2018 AFP