Dahle Flesjå renews with Merida

Norway's Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå renewed her sponsorship agreement with Merida for another four years. Just two months after the Olympic Games in Beijing, she already has her sights set on the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.

Dahle Flesjå made her announcement at a press conference on Wednesday morning at Oslo with her coach and husband Kenneth Flesjå at her side. The new deal extends her affiliation with the Multivan Merida team to 11 total years.

"This is my best contract ever," said Dahle Flesjå according to www.vg.no which also reported the deal as worth one million euros (over US$1.3 million) over four years.

At 35 years-old and as a multi-time cross country and marathon World Champion and 2004 Olympic Games gold medal winner, some racers might be thinking of retirement, but not Dahle Flesjå, who saw 2008 as a comeback year following an illness that saw her sit out much of the 2007 racing season.

"I have the best job. That is why it so easy to go to work. The years go by terribly fast when you are having a good time," she said.

With 26 World Cup victories, Dahle Flesjå is targeting Juliana Furtado's record of 28 wins. In 2009, she will focus on both cross country racing and defending her marathon world title.