Biathlon | Cross-country skiing: Einar Hedegart to focus on shooting
At the end of the 2023 season, Einar Hedegart discovered the biathlon World Cup on his home ground ofOslo-Holmenkollen (Norway). Last December, in Lillehammer (Norway), the Norwegian also took his first steps on the world cross-country skiing circuit.
While many athletes quickly switch between biathlon and cross-country skiing in their teens, the 23-year-old had not yet made up his mind. National champion a few days ago at the mass-start in Stiklestad (Norway), the Scandinavian has finally made up his mind.
From now on, it’s with a rifle in his back that he’ll be competing at 100%. “I’m going to become a full-time biathlete. I hadn’t fully decided yet, but this morning [Saturday 29 March, editor’s note], I realised that I wouldn’t have the motivation if I just did cross-country skiing,” he explained to NRK. I need to pull a bit more.
And yet it is on the cross-country skiing World Cup that Einar Hedegart has stood out the most this season. A fantastic second in the individual skate in Oslo-Holmenkollen (Norway) on 16 March, he doesn’t have the same sensations as when he takes to the shooting range.
“I’ve already done some good individual biathlon races. I know that things can change quickly. I probably won’t be a stable shooter tomorrow or next month, but by November, I’ll have really given it my all to become one, and now I hope everything will fall into place,” he also confides when our colleagues ask him about his difficulties in finding consistency in front of the targets.
However, one thing is certain: the Norwegian hesitated for a long time between the two disciplines, to the point of becoming nervous. I asked him if he was going to try cross-country skiing next year and he got angry because he was tired of people asking him questions,” says his compatriot Johan-Olav Botn. I think there are a lot of emotions surrounding this decision and it’s not always easy to deal with.
Read also
- Norwegian Championships in Stiklestad: prodigy Einar Hedegart wins the mass start ahead of Johan-Olav Botn and Isak Frey
- Oslo-Holmenkollen: in his second World Cup start, sensation Einar Hedegart takes a podium place
