Grete Waitz fights cancer
One of Norway’s greatest sports figures, long distance runner Grete Waitz, has admitted that she has been diagnosed with cancer.
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Waitz, 51, told gossip weekly Se og Hør that she was facing her toughest challenge.
“I have been diagnosed with cancer and am receiving treatment for the disease in Oslo,” Waitz told the magazine.
“As everyone surely understands this is a difficult situation both for me and those closest to me. This is really a matter that I would have preferred to keep to myself but on the other side I am a reasonably well-known person and there are surely many who have seen me going in and out of the hospital,” Waitz said.
Waitz won the New York marathon nine times (1978-80, 82-86, 88) the London marathon twice (1983, 86) and was world marathon champion in 1983 and world cross-country champion in 1978-81 and 1983.
She also had dozens of Norwegian victories, two world records for the 3000-meter and four unofficial marathon world records.
(Aftenposten English Web Desk/NTB)