Biathlon: Norway Struggling Under Pressure on Athletes

Originally published in NRK on January 26, 2025

Biathlon: Norway Struggling Under Pressure on Athletes

Published January 26, 2025, at 09:00 AM

The experienced biathlete Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen (32) admits that things are not going well, both physically and mentally. He feels that the pressure for results has become overwhelming for the athletes, and he receives support for this statement.

Christiansen, not selected for the World Championships team, states that he must accept the decisions made regarding athlete selections, saying, "You have to accept that others have performed better when it counts."

While he acknowledged a strong performance with 20 out of 20 hits during the recent pursuit race in Ruhpolding, he felt drained and not in optimal condition due to the psychological stress.

– "I have felt fine, but the physical side can be drained by psychological stress, and I think that was the case this time," he explained after the race.

The competition for places on the Norwegian men's biathlon team is fierce, resulting in more team changes this season than in previous years. Christiansen must now settle for being a reserve in the VM squad, where six different Norwegians have won at least one race this season.

Chris Botnan, the national team coach, acknowledges that athlete selections create challenges when the competition is intense. He agrees that there is room for improvement in communication about athlete selections and their implications.

The signed World Cup team for the World Championships includes prominent athletes, while the overall championship is set to take place from February 12 to 23 in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.

As Christiansen pointed out, the overall atmosphere of internal competition can create negative pressure, impacting performances negatively. With Norway currently in second place in the Nations’ Cup behind France, the discourse over athlete management and performance pressure continues to be a critical topic within the Norwegian biathlon community.

For detailed coverage and updates, visit NRK’s sporting news section.