While biathlon superstar Johannes Thingnes Bö and most of his Norwegian colleagues began their return journey after the World Cup in Antholz, Vetle Sjastad Christiansen stayed in Italy – on the advice of ski hunter icon Ole Einar Björndalen.
Vetle Sjastad Christiansen has big plans for the upcoming Biathlon World Championships in Nove Mesto (Czech Republic). The 31-year-old finally wants to win a World Championship medal in an individual discipline, as he has so far won five medals with the Norwegian relay team.
In order to make his title dream come true, Christiansen is now holding an extra training camp at altitude. “I’m going to the mountains to recharge my batteries,” the biathlete told “NRK”. In Lavazè, at around 1,800 meters above sea level, he wants to put the finishing touches on himself.
Biathlon icon Björndalen sets the “standard”
In order to best prepare for the season highlight, Christansen got tips from compatriot and record world champion Ole Einar Björndalen after the dress rehearsal in Antholz. The 50-year-old was there in South Tyrol as a TV expert as usual. Over the course of his long career, Björndalen attached great importance to training at altitude and he now passed on his knowledge.
Christiansen, who decided on an extra training camp before the last World Championships in Oberhof, also had experience in this regard, “but when it comes to using the altitude training so that I am in top shape for competitions, I am missing one Little knowledge,” he admitted: “That’s why it’s good to have people like Ole who set the standard and have done it a thousand times.”
Meanwhile, Björndalen revealed to “NRK” that he even had to slow down Christiansen. Since the Norwegian was not nominated for the World Cup in Oberhof this year, he believed “he now had to show more intensity.” But the expert disagreed and said the biathlete will take things a little easier in Lavazè.
Christiansen also wants to follow the biathlon icon’s advice about when he will start his return trip in order to be in top shape for the first individual discipline at the World Championships, the sprint (February 9th). “I let Ole decide,” explained the Norwegian, who will travel to the Czech Republic with the wind of a World Cup victory in the mass start.