Biathlon: The Details That Will Help Jesper Nelin Succeed at the World Championships

Jesper Nelin, who has experienced some of his worst weeks during past World Championships due to niggling injuries and an inability to reach his top form, is hopeful that a new training approach can finally break the championship code for him.

In the lead-up to the event, Nelin describes his journey as a constant balancing act – a ‘balance on the knife edge’ affected by small issues that accumulate and impact his physical condition over the season. He explains, “I have a bit of a problem with my neck; I sometimes get a stiff neck. It’s those small injuries that never quite go away.”

The 32-year-old biathlete is chasing his career’s first individual championship medal. Reflecting on his past performances, he admits, “I haven’t managed to peak during the World Championships in previous years. Looking at the last few years, the championship weeks have been my worst weeks of the year. My hope this year is that things will look different. I feel that I am coming in with better physical form and mental readiness in the shooting component.”

A key element of his new strategy is to spend more training time at higher altitudes. “I have a somewhat unique training setup. I was in good form at Antholz in my last competition, so I’m trying to maintain that level and achieve supercompensation – that is, resting so that form comes back flying. I hope it turns out as planned,” Nelin adds.

The Biathlon World Championships are set to begin on February 12 and will be broadcast on SVT.