King Harald V of Norway has announced that he will stop participating in international sailing competitions after decades in which he has been seen in several World Cups and up to three editions of the Olympic Games.
«Everything has its time,» said the monarch, known as the ‘sailor king’, who has advanced that in all likelihood his participation last July in the World Championship held in Geneva, Switzerland, was the last.
«It was very nice. It was fun to participate again, but that was probably the last time (…) I may sail in Norway. If someone needs someone to train against, I’ll help them, but I doubt I’ll travel abroad again,» he told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.
King Harald V, on the throne since 1991, has been suffering from increasing health problems in recent years, although that did not prevent him, albeit with difficulty, from taking part in this summer’s sailing World Cup held on Switzerland’s Lake Geneva. «With crutches it’s not so easy to move around the boat,» he admitted.
Earlier this week the monarch had to be admitted to a hospital in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, due to an infection that required intravenous antibiotic treatment. In November he was on sick leave for a cold and in August he had to be hospitalized also for an infection.
Already in 2021 the Norwegian king had to undergo surgery on his leg, and a few months earlier he had an artificial heart valve replaced.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
