Biathlon : a successful World Cup debut
Martin Uldal had a great first World Cup season, finishing eleventh overall. In particular, he made his mark by winning his third World Cup start in the sprint atAnnecy Le Grand-Bornand (Haute-Savoie), a record for earliness, earning him the honorary title of rookie of the year at the end of the winter.
After two seasons on the IBU Cup circuit, the 24-year-old Norwegian returned to the World Cup last winter – after a first start in Oslo (Norway) in March 2022 – in Hochfilzen (Austria). ” I went to Hochfilzen to do my best and, most likely, return to the IBU Cup, thinking that 7th in the sprint and 5th in the pursuit might not be enough to stay,” Martin Uldal told theIBU.
But everything changed in the chase. “ On the last shot of the chase, I said to myself, ‘I’ll probably go home after this.’ So I wanted to come home strong. It went really well [4/5 behind the rifle in 12.9 seconds, editor’s note]… It really inspired me.”
The following week, in Annecy Le Grand-Bornand (Haute-Savoie), the Scandinavian won his first World Cup race, a surprise for the biathlete. “ I thought I could get on the podium, but to win… it was a real shock,” he explains.
A unique shooting technique
Martin Uldal distinguished himself throughout the winter with a very fast shot. In the mixed singles relay in Pokljuka (Slovenia), he recorded a clear round in 12.5 seconds. “I train a lot. But my technique came naturally. My brother noticed it, and when I noticed it too, I said to myself: ‘That’s how you do it. It’s fun to do something different and better.”
With the help of his French coach Siegfried Mazet, he is now working on perfecting his patience and accuracy. “He wants to make me a better shooter. I need to learn patience and hit the targets. Once I’ve got the basics down, I can do whatever I want.
This first World Cup season has whetted the appetite of the native of Kristiansand (Norway). “I want to take part in the Olympics. If I want a long and spectacular career, I have to make it. I feel the pressure, even if it’s still early days. I’m young, and failure is not an end in itself. But I really want to do it. The next chance won’t come for another four years, and by then I’ll be expected to succeed. But this time, I have to be ready.
His compatriot and overall winner, Sturla Holm Lægreid, believes that Martin Uldal could be one of his main rivals next season. The young Norwegian is enthusiastic about the idea. “I’m confident and I agree. I really want to go after him. I think that in a year’s time, I’d really like to be able to overtake him in the overall standings. It would be really great to be among the best!
Read also
- Vu de Norge #453: Martin Uldal, the Norwegian mad gunman
- Biathlon | Le Grand-Bornand: how the Norwegian camp experienced Martin Uldal’s victory
- Biathlon | Le Grand Bornand: for a second, Martin Uldal takes his first career victory in the sprint, Eric Perrot comes close to flowers
- 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
