As the new season approaches, one thing is a given: the Norwegian men will rank at or near the top of just about every category from the World Cup Total Score to the World Cup Relay Score.

Norway has been the “big dog” since the early 90s when Jon Age Tyldum won the Total Score twice just before Ole Einar Bjorndalen and Co took over. Since then, a Norwegian has won the Total Score 13 times (the same as France thanks to Raphael Poirée and Martin Fourcade) while taking the Relay Score 15 times since 2001 with Germany a very distant second with two!

Norwegian Coaches Egil Kristiansen and Siegfried Mazet offered some insight about what keeps this juggernaut on track. Led by JT Boe, Norway swept the top five spots in the World Cup Total Score last season. also taking seventh place.

“They want to be together”

According to Mazet, it starts and ends with team, “The guys enjoy being part of that team…Egil and I build the physical and shooting parts; we are always making small changes. But it is defined by the times they work together; they want to be together. The youngest know that if you are next to JT or Tarjei, you will get better. They also bring in some fresh air and are always challenging the guys at the top. If you are on the train, you can go further’.”

Kristiansen said it was a process to get the team where it is today. “The culture in Norway means we have a lot of XC skiers and biathletes. There will always be a pipeline. In our first years together, it was not so good because several guys like Ole Einar and Emil were ending their careers, so we started from scratch. It took a year or two before we got this system that everyone understands and built something that is really good.”

Starting with a Clean Slate

Ironically the Mazet/Kristiansen coaching duo had never met before getting their current jobs, with Kristiansen admitting, “Before taking this job, I had never seen one single biathlon race in person or on TV!” Mazet added, “This was good because you were absolutely objective.”

Each season, Kristiansen’s slate is clean. “I am really bad at history, so I forget last year as soon as possible and start looking forward to the next year.” Mazet added, “We know it is good to remind them about what we have done, but we know the goal is to repeat again, no matter how the season was. We need to focus on the next season and not what we have done.”

Changing the Mindset

Mazet suggested when he moved to the Norwegian team his goal was to get them “to think as biathletes, not cross-country skiers who shoot. They have changed their mindset, although it took a year or two to have this perspective of biathletes. Although we work separately on the physical and shooting. We know what you do physically will have consequences about what you do on the shooting range and vice versa. This has been way better.” Kristiansen added, “It is important that the athletes are up at such a high level that they can have good results with good shooting, but if you shoot well and have bad skiing, you are 10th or 20th. That is not good enough.”

“Always want to be at the top level”

Motivation to be the best fuels the Norwegian squad, according to Mazet. “They always want to be in the top level; they know all opponents improve so that is motivation.”

Kristiansen recalled, “I remember two seasons ago after Johannes had this really good season. He came to me asking, ‘What do we do now to get even better?’ I told him that the goal would be to keep that level and no one on this earth will beat you! That is very difficult.”

It is all about “team”

Norway’s continued success comes down not just to the coaches or training plans but the athletes. Kristiansen feels the team concept is crucial. “Team spirit is very important from the start of training season through the competition season. I see these guys having fun; they enjoy being out on the road. If we are so much together, we need to be that.”

Mazet added, “We have strength in the team because they have the ability to be alone sometimes and when we are supposed to be together, we are together. It is not like one trains here, another there and we just come together for lunch. It is a good balance that builds success.”

Photos: IBU/Christian Manzoni, Nordic Focus, Jerry Kokesh