Anonymous asked: Iām new to the world of biathlon but I am hooked. Since moving to Norway with my Norwegian wife I have been actively learning how to shoot (Iām already a good skier) and taking part in competitions through a local club. I know you are also sporty and list biathlon as your Nordic winter sport of choice. Whatās the hardest part for you? Who is your favourite biathlete?
I should say first off that I hope youāve settled into Norwegian life without too many issues (my apologies for the uninspiring food which I admit is not best reason to move to Norway). Certainly doing skiskyting - the Nordic word we used to describe the sport we invented - is one excellent way to show your interest in Norwegian life. As you know itās a huge part of Norwegian culture and that is reflected by how Norwegians have traditionally dominated the Winter Olympics.Ā
Like almost every Norwegian child I started to ski at around 4 years old. My Norwegian mother was a qualified ski instructor when she was a student going through university, and so it was natural we would take to the ski slopes in Norway and in Switzerland. ShootingĀ .22 calibre rifle with a peep sight came much later.
I was hooked from an early age watching other biathletes who were on a different planet talent-wise. My older siblings also did skiskyting and so watching them compete helped me to naturally follow their footsteps.Ā
I soon competed in a good number of amateur competitions via a local club (as youāre starting to do) whenever I was back in Norway. Because I lived overseas a good part of my life I didnāt have the opportunity to really dedicate myself to the sport. However the British Army gave me a great chance to indulge in it again when I was much older.
Iāve done a few amateur competitions through my links to a local Norwegian club - before the covid pandemic - but it took planning. Clearing my busy schedule as well as training ahead of time (going to the French or Swiss Alps) isnāt always easy. Iām also getting older and busier (and lazier) with other real life responsibilities so itās harder to caerve out that time. So itās not lack of enthusiasm or interest, but time that determines how much I can really do. Iām hoping to do a competition back in Norway this winter - thatās my hope anyway. Letās see.
The hardest part for me isnāt the cross country skiing in the freezing cold (Norwegians have ice in their blood after all). Nor is it the shooting as I can shoot pretty good from distances.
No, the hardest part I imagine is the same for many other biathletes, and that is the transition between skiing and then stopping on skis to shoot, standing and on laying on the ground. As you know itās not easy to ski hard and then you have to stop and pull off the .22 calibre rifle from your back, and then steady yourself to shoot each of the designated targets with consistency before skiing away to the next stage.
The toughest part is of course is to lower your heart beat as best as you can so that your aim is steady and cool to make the shot, not just once but multiple times...and fast. That is no easy at all as your body is pumped with adrenaline after skiing your arse off and under a ticking time clock. Itās a high pressure sport that makes unique demands on your body.Ā
Some biathletes just have good genes or are blessed with that innate ability to lower their heart beat naturally, and others have to just work on it as best as they can. I think I fall towards the former. I can lower my heart beat very quickly but even for me, it takes discipline and a sort of ārelaxedā concentration, if that makes sense. You canāt force it but you have to block out everything else and just centre your calmness and focus on the distant target as you squeeze the trigger.
And then of course - and this is where I am prone to embarrassing pratfalls - is to remember that youāve got skis on as you shoulder your rifle and turn to ski away. Iāve got into a tangle more than once that would make Buster Keaton blush. I certainly give my watching family members a good laugh when that happens.
As for my favourite biathlete? Thatās easy Tiril Eckhoff of Norway.
Tiril Eckhoff is a two-time Olympic champion, winning the mixed relay at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, and also won a bronze in the mass start, a feat she repeated at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Eckhoff is also a ten-time gold medalist at the Biathlon World Championships, winning gold in the 7.5 km sprint at the Biathlon World Championships 2016, and both the 7.5 km sprint and 10 km pursuit at the Biathlon World Championships 2021.
Tirl Eckhoff wasnāt born in Baerum or lived and studied in Oslo. Iām convinced she comes from a different galaxy such is her talent.Ā
These are the cold hard facts about her achievements.
With 10 World Championship titles, she sits third on the all-time list behind German Magdalena Neuner (12) and teammate Marte Olsbu Roeiseland (11). With 15 total medals, she is the most successful Norwegian female, with one more than Roeiseland.
Eckhoff has won the relay and mixed relay at the past three World Championships, and has only failed to medal in a relay race three times in 13 attempts. In 2021, she was on the podium in six of seven races, standing atop four times.
Last year was a special year for her. She won the World Cup overall Crystal Globe in 2020/21 ahead of Roeiseland, winning the small Crystal Globes in sprint and pursuit. She recorded 13 of her 26 individual career victories in 2020/21, including becoming the first biathlete to win seven consecutive sprint races. She won seven races the previous season, finishing second overall behind Dorothea Wierer (ITA), losing by seven points after a shooting error in Kontiolahti. She has World Cup victories in all seven disciplines within biathlon.
Tiril is only 31 years old. The all-time record of individual World Cup wins by any female biathlete is held by Sweden's Magdalena Forsberg with 42. Tiril could catch her if she continues at her current pace.
Being biathlete is in her genes. Her older brother Stian Eckhoff is a former biathlete who clinched the relay world championship title in 2005 and represented Norway at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin.
In 10 World Cup seasons he managed two individual victories, seven individual podium finishes, and six team victories. Following his retirement, Stian went on to become the national coach of the Norwegian women's biathlon team, where he coached his sister! Her other sister Kaja, was also a biathlete who was Winter Youth World Championship gold medallist, winning the individual in 2002 (Ridnaun). She also competed in the IBU Cup over three seasons, with three top-10 finishes. Tirilās partner, Aanund Lid Byggland, is an accomplished cross country skier having competed at the 2009 Junior World Championships (fourth in sprint), and the 2013 U23 World Championships (sixth in sprint). He was also the 2013 Norwegian Championships sprint silver medallist.
But what makes Tiril Eckhoff special is her character. She is driven and hard working for sure but she retains a bubbly personality and a sincere humility about everything she does. She is very down to earth and loves knitting in her down time. She seems like a fun person to be around. The disappointment over not winning any individual medals at the IBU World Championships AntholzāAnterselva 2020 weighed heavily upon her.
2021 was her best season yet. In the 20ā21 season, she won 4 gold and took 6 medals in 7 races during the Biathlon World Championships 2021. Later in the season, she won the 2020ā21 World Cup overall title, winning the most races in a season since Magdalena Forsberg. Tiril also won the discipline title in sprint and pursuit, becoming the first biathlete, male or female, to win 7 consecutive races in a discipline (sprint competition).
There is one thing about Eckhoff that is easily overlooked, for she comes across as an easygoing and very open and grounded person: she never gives up. Sheās driven but she doesnāt make a show of it. Sheās obviously super cometitive and a hard worker but she always looks like sheās having fun and just enjoy being laid back. I think sheās a tremendous ambassador not just for Norway but also the growing world wide popularity of the sport as well.
Thanks for your question.
