As a young athlete, it was not foreseeable that Lukas Haslinger would one day be one of the best biathletes in his country. He usually came last in competitions at district or state level. That changed as a teenager, and he improved year on year. Now he wants to go to the Olympic Games.

He already has an Olympic medal. Lukas Haslinger won silver in the individual event at the 2020 Youth Olympic Games. A highlight of his still young biathlon career. He is now fighting to establish himself in the Austrian World Cup team and to be part of the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo - and to win medals there again.

Do not just run along, be the best

For Lukas Haslinger, it is clear that he will only continue his career in competitive sport if he can win the races. “I do not just want to run along and be satisfied with a 20th place. My aim is to compete for victory in every race,” says the 21-year-old. Last season, he won two races in the IBU Junior Cup and secured the total score at the end of the season. This was followed by the first race in the IBU Cup. But he had to work hard to win.

When he started biathlon at the age of ten, it was not foreseeable that he would one day be one of the best in his country. “I was always last in the district and national cup competitions. But that was not so important to me at the time, as it was all about having fun with sport. Together with his friend and team-mate Fabian Müller, he improved from year to year and switched to the ski academy in Schladming at the age of fifteen. Thanks to the intensive training, he was able to compete with the cross-country skiers in his year on the course. He also has his friend Fabian Müller to thank for this.

Only friendship matters

“We both travelled the same path and always pushed each other,” says Lukas Haslinger. Müller has always been a role model for him to follow. “I'm particularly pleased that we've now also competed together in the IBU Junior Cup.” The next step for both athletes could be the World Cup.

Lukas Haslinger is not only a talented biathlete, but he also plays the trombone in the local band and loves animals. He has chickens at home and likes to go fishing. He also likes to cook new and unusual dishes. “I look for recipes on Instagram with my girlfriend and then we cook them. It is one of my favorite hobbies.” He is also usually satisfied with the food in hotels when he is travelling in winter. There is another thing that bothers him a lot more. “Travelling by plane is always incredibly stressful for me. The weapons check at the airport takes forever and I can never sleep on the plane.” It is a good thing that he can travel by car from his home in Saalfelden to the 2026 Olympic Games in South Tyrol.

Photos: IBU, private