On the 6th of September 2023, the biathlon community gathered in a virtual space to enhance skills and unravel the secrets to optimized recovery. Through an interactive webinar, we navigated through the critical pathways that harmonize the mind and the body for peak performance.

The online event, attended by coaches, athletes, sports directors, scientists, and medical doctors, initiated a groundbreaking discussion on the various aspects of recovery. The attendance eclipsed expectations, with a remarkable gathering of 350 registrants, and a live audience that reached up to 190 engaged participants keen on expanding their knowledge horizons.

From understanding sleep’s pivotal role in an athlete's recovery to learning firsthand from a team physio on post-competition strategies, the exploration of recovery techniques was both profound and enriching. Participants delved deep into mental strategies, enhancing the recovery process and consequently fostering a nurturing ground for athlete’s wellbeing.

We were honored to have a panel of distinguished lecturers share their insights and expertise:

Dr. Anne Hecksteden brought her rich background in interindividual variability and recovery management to the fore. A beacon in the fields of training adaptation and exercise physiology, Dr. Hecksteden highlighted the latest trends and researches, all grounded in her extensive experience as a professor of sports medicine.

Frank Rizzo leveraged his deep expertise as a physiotherapist, bringing innovative training methods to the discussion, distilled from his work with the Swedish National Biathlon Team, and offering a hands-on perspective on optimizing training approaches and athlete conditioning.

Dr. Claudia Reardon offered a critical look into the role of mental health in sports, drawing from her immense expertise in sports psychiatry and her pioneering work co-chairing the IOC’s “Mental Health in Elite Athletes” workgroup. Dr. Reardon enlightened the audience with her globally recognized insights into the mental aspects of sports recovery.

Dr. Kerstin Hödlmoser provided a deep dive into the psychological aspects of recovery, merging the fields of biological psychology with sports psychology to give a nuanced view on sleep and recovery in elite sports. Her comprehensive approach to the subject was deeply enriching, bringing in a wealth of knowledge from her diverse background.

A Resounding Acknowledgement from the Community

The spirited interaction, characterized by a volley of questions from the enthusiastic audience, underscored the gravity of the topic at hand.

Gerold Sattlecker, the Head of the IBU Academy, reflected the feelings of many when he said:

Upcoming Event: Mark Your Calendars

As we continue this journey of enlightenment and collaborative learning, we are thrilled to announce the next instalment in our webinar series: the Athletes Webinar slated for the 14th of September from 13:00 – 14:30. The focal topic for this session is ‘Training Culture,’ a subject promising to unveil strategies to foster a nurturing training environment.

Join us as we forge a path of knowledge and shared experiences, nurturing a culture of excellence and well-rounded growth in the biathlon world.