Biathlon:outside help to improve communication between athletes and staff?
In recent weeks, Norwegian biathletes have begun to raise their voices after decisions they consider arbitrary. The experienced Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen has repeatedly criticised the national team management, particularly at the end of last season after not being called up for the World Cups in Pokljuka (Slovenia) andOslo-Holmenkollen (Norway).
The 32-year-old biathlete has nevertheless been retained in the elite group for the summer preparations. In an interview with NRK, he revealed that he and his team-mates are looking into the possibility of using outside help to improve communication.
“As a shop steward, I spoke a lot with Morten [Djupvik, General Secretary of the Norwegian Biathlon Association, editor’s note]. I told him that we wanted to have an outside viewpoint with someone who was familiar with management, communication and sport. It’s a minefield, with few rules and a lot of unspoken ones. We’ve managed to say what we want and we feel listened to. But we still have a long way to go before we understand each other perfectly,” Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen tells NRK.
Lately, the Norwegian Biathlon Association has had to deal with a number of tricky cases. In addition to the criticism levelled at Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen at the end of last season, the case of Karoline Knotten – ousted from the national team – is currently causing quite a stir in the Kingdom.
Faced with this, the Norwegian federation has promised to also work on the selection criteria and the methods of communicating the selections, aspects strongly criticised by the athletes.
“We’re going to create new selection criteria and ask the group of riders for their opinion. There will be a good dialogue, and then we will discuss how to communicate and dialogue ,” assured national coach Per Arne Botnan.
Read also
- Biathlon | Martin Uldal and Vebjoern Soerum promoted, Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen retained, Karoline Knotten out of the squad: Norway’s selections for the 2025/2026 season
- Biathlon | “Like a dictatorship”: Karoline Knotten angrily recounts her ousting from the Norwegian national team
- Biathlon | “A flagrant injustice”: Marte Olsbu Roeiseland’s reaction to the ousting of Karoline Knotten
- Biathlon | “I don’t understand this decision”: Karoline Knotten makes no secret of her displeasure at being dropped from Norway’s squad for next season
- Biathlon | “If it were possible, I would change employer”: Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen still at odds with the Norwegian federation after not being selected for the Pokljuka stage
