Incredible crisis in the most successful biathlon country in recent years.
Фото: © DeFodi Images / Contributor / DeFodi Images / Gettyimages.ru, Joel Marklund / Keystone Press Agency / Global Look Press
Johannes Boe, Sturla Holm Legrade, Tiril Eckhoff, Marte Røiseland – these names have consistently met in the top 3 overall World Cup standings in the Olympic cycle between South Korea and China.
The result of this was the total advantage of the Vikings in Beijing 2022 and dominance at the start of the current season. However, the future of Norwegian biathlon is far from clear.
In the Scandinavian country, there are big problems with the new generation of shooting skiers, and the lack of ammunition and … US policy are to blame.
“I’m afraid that because of this the sport will die out”
After the triumphant era of Bjoerndalen and Svendsen, which ended in Sochi 2014, the Norwegian team experienced a real crisis in Pyeongchang 2018 – only one gold by Johannes Boe and only fourth place in the biathlon standings.
But four years later, in Beijing, the Scandinavians regained their dominance once more, winning as many as 14 medals, 6 of which became gold – a record for the Vikings at the Olympics.
At the same time, the younger generation, which should replace the current heroes, has experienced problems all this time. Over the past eight years, the number of biathletes in the country has decreased by more than 30%: this season there are 1213 officially registered biathletes.
A new problem has been added to the frightening trend of recent years – sports clubs are experiencing a shortage of cartridges.
“I’m a little worried, I must admit. I’m afraid that the sport will die out because of this, and it’s a very good sport for both children and adults, says Tormod Rangnes, director of equipment for a ski shooting club in Norway.
Delivery delays
“Yesterday we received a shipment of ammunition two months late. And then – we only received half of the training cartridges we ordered, so everything we have is sold out. Now we only have a few more expensive items left,” says Mads Laisevold, general manager of the largest ammunition distributor in Norway.
The cause of delivery problems must be considered in combination: these are the consequences of the coronavirus and the current difficult foreign policy situation. However, if many have already learned how to work with pandemic restrictions and, by and large, Europe is coping with this challenge, then how to predict political changes is not yet clear.
– Sales of weapons and ammunition always skyrocket if the US president is from the Democratic Party and following major tragedies. The reason is that people expect stricter gun laws,” explains American expert Hilmar Mjelde.
In the summer, the US Senate passed a new document tightening national gun laws in the country. The decision follows mass shootings in Buffalo and a Texas high school last spring. By this point, the Americans were more active than usual in buying weapons and ammunition, which added problems to the already existing difficulties, according to the Norwegians.
“It is strange that in Norway the situation is different”
It is important to understand that due to the current delays in deliveries, not only biathletes are suffering, but also shooters. Suppliers recognize that athletes in both sports are facing a new reality in the wake of the challenges of the pandemic, which might greatly weaken their training:
– I’m not sure that we will be able to recruit new athletes. If we are going to recruit someone for biathlon, then shooting is an important part of the preparation. In training, it is possible to use laser weapons, but the most important thing is to use what you will have to face in competitions. Ammunition is an important part of this, concludes a representative of the Norwegian ski shooting club.
Surprisingly, the serious feelings of the Norwegians are not shared by their colleagues in Finland. There, everything is in order with the equipment of local clubs, and the number of biathletes is not much inferior to the pre-coronavirus period and remains at the level of 650-700 people.
It is also interesting that the Finns use the products of Lapua, which is part of the Norwegian holding Nammo:
We have not had such a challenge. For some reason it seems a little strange that in Norway the situation can be different, says Tapio Pukki, Executive Director of the Finnish Biathlon Union.
However, the problems of the Norwegians do not seem made up. While Johannes Boe continues to win race following race, his compatriots are really worried regarding the future, which is simply impossible without quality preparation.