Just Switched to Biathlon: Norwegian Star Facing Retirement?
The 24-year-old appears visibly affected after a weak pre-season preparation and hints at a snap retirement.
Last summer, cross-country Olympic champion Einder Hedegart made headlines. The 24-year-old, after much deliberation, decided to switch to biathlon.
Just a few months later, he already regrets this move. "I clearly haven't chosen the right path," he told the Norwegian broadcaster "TV2."
Disastrous Shooting Accuracy
The background to this statement is his miserable performance at the shooting range during pre-season training. Even at the traditional Blinkenfestival in Sandnes (NOR) just over a month ago, things didn't go well for him; in the supersprint, he only managed a shooting accuracy of 50 percent (10/20).
At the Norwegian championships last weekend, things were hardly better. In the sprint, he missed two targets in prone, and even all of them in standing. In the end, despite a strong skiing performance, he finished a disappointing 20th.
"Might As Well Go Home"
"In training, I'm at a very high level, but in competition, I can't make it work. It's frustrating," he complained. He could "just as well go home and look for a job. There's nothing for me to do here," he vented his frustration.
Indeed, his snap retirement could be imminent. He said on Saturday he would only give himself two more races: besides the season opener (Idre Fjaell, Nov 26-29), the mass start on Sunday. But even there, he had nothing to do with the top spots, though he did finish eleventh this time. However, he missed eight targets again at the shooting range.
