Isak Frey is one of Norway's best junior biathletes. Last season, he shone with two IBU Cup victories and multiple IBU Open European Championships and IBU Junior World Championships medals. Now he has his sights set on the World Cup.

Martell-Val Martello is Isak Frey’s favorite biathlon venue. No wonder, given the good results he has achieved there. It’s not just the beautiful landscape and good food of South Tyrol that the 21-year-old remembers but also a place, where he topped the podium twice in January. Frey was the best in the sprint and pursuit and finished third in the short individual. Just a perfect start to the new year for the Norwegian. “It has been my long-time goal to win an IBU Cup race, and back in November, I really didn’t expect it to happen several times,” says Isak Frey.

Shooting was the challenge

Isak Frey started his sporting career in typical Norwegian fashion with cross-country skiing. At the age of ten, he tried out biathlon at the local ski club. The shooting convinced him to change the sport but good results in the junior national team were a long time coming. The Youth Olympic Games 2020 in Lausanne were the first international event for Frey. However, he was not satisfied with the results: 23rd place in the individual with eight misses and 14th place in the sprint with four mistakes clearly showed what he needed to work on in the coming years. “My shooting was not good at all, but I really enjoyed being together with all the athletes from the other nations.”

Two years later, Frey won his first medal at the IBU Youth World Championships in Soldier Hollow. He skied for the relay win together with his teammates Stian Fedreheim and Andreas Aas, being hungry for more.

The next step: World Cup

After his victories and podiums in the IBU Cup, three medals at the Open European Championships, and four at the Junior World Championships last season, now Isak Frey wants to make it to the World Cup team. “The Norwegian squad is very strong, so it will be difficult for me to qualify for the World Cup. There’s also a lot of pressure because you always have to deliver and show the result. At the same time, it’s also motivation for me to keep improving and to be one of the best at some point.”

In this endeavor, he is taking inspiration from his role models, who also come from the Norwegian team. “Of course, Johannes Thingnes Boe is a big idol for me, but I’ve also taken a lot of inspiration from Endre Stroemsheim to improve my shooting,” says the 21-year-old. Frey wants to score points with mental strength. In addition to the many hours of training, he has also achieved success by visualizing the races in advance and then making a plan of how he wants to ski and shoot. “I manage to control my nerves quite well. That’s what fascinates me about this sport.”

Another sport that fascinates him is golf. When the Norwegian has free time, he plays with his friends. That allows him to switch off and recharge batteries, especially for difficult training sessions. And there will be many more of these on his way to the World Cup and big wins.

Photos: IBU I Osula, private