Lisa Hauser did not have her best season in 2023/24, struggling with various illnesses all season. Now after a fully healthy summer under the tutelage of her long-time mentor and Swiss Coach Sandra Flunger, Hauser is again ready to compete for top places.

The Austrian had five victories in her dozen podiums in the three previous years, tying with Dorothea Wierer for the World Cup Individual Score in 2021. Even in her down season, Hauser remained consistent on the shooting range at 85% and upping her single mixed relay success to nine podiums with sharpshooter Simon Eder. In the new season, her shooting is up to 89%, her ski speed is returning, and she has been close to the podium again with two Flower Ceremony appearances.

On a chilly fall morning just before the season opened, the 30-year-old veteran with 12 seasons of international competitions sat down in Hochfilzen, revealing how she approaches each week.

Biathlonworld: What time do you wake up on Mondays and what is the first thing you do after waking up?

Lisa Hauser: Usually in the summer, I wake up at 6 because I need to be at the military here in Hochfilzen; it is a half-hour from my home. The first thing I do is stand up really easy, turn off the alarm, and go the bathroom to brush my teeth.

BW: What is the first app you look at when you turn on your phone?

LH: Instagram. BW: What makes your breakfast routine perfect?

LH: Usually, I start with something warm, like porridge; then bread with honey which I really like…or some Nutella and some coffee.

BW: Does your early morning routine include stretching, yoga, a jog, or mental preparation?

LH: Not at home, but when I am in camp, I like to move for less than 10 minutes before breakfast, because then I have a better feeling for my body.

BW: Is your backpack packed and ready every day or do you throw everything in at the last minute?

LH: It is ready every day. I pack it the night before.

BW: What is your biggest “Oh, I forget that” when you got to training?

LH: Two or three times, I forget my watch and I hate that, because you are so used to it and lost without it. You keep reaching to hit it and it is not there.

BW: Do you have a mental checklist that you go over each morning?

LH: I would not say checklist, but on race days, I try to imagine the first loop on the track.

BW: Do you have a personal journal that you keep besides your training log?

LH: No, just the training journal which still has your feelings.

BW: What advice guides you every day?

LH: Try to stay healthy. Last year, I was not healthy from September to April, but this year I was healthy all summer. That is a really good feeling when each day you know you are healthy.

BW: At the end of the day, what do you do to wind down?

LH: I watch some TV. Then then I go to bed, read for about 10 minutes, and off to sleep. I really like to calm down with a book.

BW: What is your biggest indulgence?

LH: My family would say it is Nutella. I really loved when I was a kid and still love it, but I do not eat it as much. Still, there are those times when I really crave it.

BW: Are you a picky eater?

LH: When I was a kid, I was a picky eater, just pasta and rice without sauce, sausage, schnitzel and white bread with Nutella. When I went to boarding school, it was a really hard step for me. Now, there are just a few things: pickles and no seafood, but I do like fish.

BW: What is the hardest part of being a professional biathlete?

LH: In winter, it is especially hard to not see my family or friends. I really like being with them. I just told my friends, ‘This is probably the last time I will see you until April.’ That is always hard.

BW: What is your biggest secret about yourself most people do not know?

LH: When I have a rest day, people ask, ‘Are you sure you will do nothing?’ My answer is, ‘Yes, I can just lay on my couch and do nothing for 10 hours.’ Rest is really important when you do a lot of training.

BW: What project is the major project you worked on this past summer?

LH: In training, I seem to always have one mistake on the shooting range, and I hate that when I hit four. The most important thing or project is to get to the zeros. It is really important to shoot four times zero in a race. If you do not do it in training, you will not do it in the race. I know how to shoot four zeros, but you come to the range, you have to have the self-confidence. That is what has been missing.

Photos: IBU/ Christian Manzoni, Nordic Focus/Vianney Thibaut