Biathlon. Ole Einar Bjoerndalen announced his retirement from sports

Their story involves Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. the site tells why the National Olympic Committee of Norway decided to take this step, and also who will replace the legendary athlete in the national team.

These Games were to be the last for the most successful biathlete in history. In the summer, Ole Einar prepared for the Olympics, trying to get himself into peak shape by February. Unfortunately, it was not without problems. The 43-year-old Norwegian, who also visited Raubichi, did not feel the best, but continued to be brave, not focusing on his failures in the preparatory period. Three-time Sochi 2014 champion and Bjoerndalen's wife Daria Domracheva recently told NRK that her husband's difficulties were quite serious.

“At first he had problems preparing in the summer. I think few athletes could even cope with this. But still he began to compete in the World Cup. However, perhaps because it happened so close to the season, it was difficult to get back into shape for the start of the season when it mattered most.

Bjoerndalen himself again modestly denied, calling the problems “unpleasant little things.”

Be that as it may, Bjoerndalen started the season well. He was 18th twice in the first World Cup. At that time, few doubted that Ole would easily meet the standards in the next races, but the results began to decline. In Hochfilzen, the Norwegian finished 28th in the sprint, and fell outside the top 40 in the pursuit.

Bjoerndalen did not go to the third stage in France, going with Domracheva to another training camp. And if Daria benefited from additional training, Ole was again far from the required condition. In the sprint on the Oberhof track, he was only 52nd with two penalties, and in the pursuit he was 36th. The stage in Ruhpolding was approaching, after which the Norwegian coaching staff planned to decide on the six that would go to Pyeongchang.

Brothers Boe and Emil Hegle Svendsen fulfilled all the standards at the beginning of the season. They repeatedly made it into the top 12 at stages without raising doubts about their candidacies. There were four contenders for the remaining three places: Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, Lars Birkeland, Erlend Bjontegård and Henrik L'Abe-Lund. The goal is to finish in the top 12 individually twice (or once in the top 6) or be in the top six Norwegians overall. In previous years, Bjoerndalen would have easily dealt with this trio, but now their results looked much more preferable.

Birkeland placed in the top 12 four times in individual races and proved to be an excellent relay starter. In the overall standings he is on the border of the top ten and even beat Svendsen.

L'Abe-Lund was also ahead of Bjoerndalen many times, and in Hochfilzen he was in the top 10 twice. He is now in 24th place in the overall standings.

Finally, Ole Einar’s main rival was the least famous biathlete of this squad, Erlend Bjontegård. The 28-year-old Kongsberg native regularly found himself as the seventh wheel, not making it into the national team. He was not taken to the Olympic Games and was only included once in the application for the World Championships. What can I say, even at the World Cup stages Erlend is an infrequent guest. When it became clear that he, and not Bjoerndalen, could go to Pyeongchang, Bjontegård felt uneasy, saying that he would be fine with the coaches' decision if they chose Ole. But in the end, Erlend’s results spoke better than any words. He was not included in the team for the stages in Östersund and Oberhof, but he made excellent use of his chance in Annecy when Bjoerndalen left for training camp. The 28-year-old biathlete finished tenth in the sprint and mass start, immediately fulfilling the standard of two places among the top 12 riders in individual races.

Everything was decided in an independent escort in Ruhpolding. Neither Bjöntegård nor Bjørndalen qualified for the mass start, so the 20-kilometer four-shooting race was the final test. To qualify for the Olympics, Ole Einar needed to finish in the top six, but the coaching staff would probably have been convinced by any high result from Bjorndalen, provided that Bjontegard performed worse. Before the start, the veteran was focused. He understood that the key factor would be not so much physical fitness as shooting, because for every miss in the individual race there is a one-minute penalty.

Bjoerndalen started the race at a good pace and passed the first shooting range without any mistakes. Ole consolidated his success on the stand. By the third shooting he was fifth, and by that time Bjontegård had already made two misses. Alas, it was the third firing line that became fatal for Bjoerndalen. He unexpectedly missed twice in prone. At the last shooting stage, Ole Einar added another miss to his liability and went to the finishing circle. In the final protocol of his most important race in this World Cup, he became 42nd. This is the worst result in the team. Even Vetle Sjostad Christiansen, who did not qualify for a place in Pyeongchang, ran better. Bjontegård, like Ole Einar, missed three shots but finished 21st. On the track he was faster than Bjoerndalen by a full minute.

After this, the coach of the Norwegian men's national team, Siegfried Maze, faced a difficult dilemma. On the one hand, Ole Einar Bjoerndalen did not fulfill the selection criteria, on the other hand, the rejection of the great champion could cause the anger of the fans. If Maze had a choice, he would probably have limited himself to an application of four people. It is clear that it will be difficult for L'Abe-Lund and Bjontegard to fight for medals, and then the coaching staff will repeatedly remember Bjorndalen. But if we took Maze Ole Einar, who would also hardly have joined the fight for awards, there would have been noise about non-compliance with the sporting principle.

Maze decided to focus on the selection criteria. Birkeland, Bjontegård and L'Abe-Lund completed them, but Bjoerndalen did not. Although not immediately, the National Olympic Committee of Norway, which initially advocated the inclusion of Ole Einar and which approves the applications for the Games, nevertheless agreed with the opinion of the coaches.

— We have had thorough discussions with the sports directorate of the biathlon federation. Unfortunately, the decision was made not to include Ole Einar Bjoerndalen in the squad for the PyeongChang Olympics. His results this season do not give hope for a good result. Other biathletes performed better and deserved the opportunity to compete at the Games. It is difficult to make such decisions, given the merits of Bjoerndalen. His name will forever remain in the history of the Norwegian Olympic movement,” the NRK channel quotes the representative of the Norwegian NOC, Toure Øvrebo, as saying.

It’s hard to disagree with Evrebo. The decision of the Norwegian side is difficult, but fair. There is no doubt that this step will be discussed before, during and long after the Olympics. But it is much more important now to pay tribute to the great champion, who at the age of 43 decided to enter the fight for selection for the Olympics in a team with the highest competition in the world. Bjoerndalen does not live on the moon, he perfectly understood that his experience and endurance are no longer so effective in modern biathlon with these explosive speeds and crazy intensity. At his age, it is already difficult to digest loads sufficient for competitive struggle. But Bjoerndalen fought to the end and looked decent. His results were enough to qualify for any team in the world except Norway and Germany.

Failure to qualify for the Olympics will not make him any less great or take away his legendary status. Ole Einar Bjoerndalen will continue to be an eight-time Olympic champion, a 20-time world champion, a 135-time World Cup winner and the best biathlete in history. Well, we will once again regret that the International Olympic Committee does not issue a wild card outside the selection criteria, following the example of the organizers of tennis tournaments.

Olympic champions build a house near Minsk, go to football games and ride a BELAZ.

We had a farewell party

More precisely, only Bjoerndalen had a farewell party. Daria announced her retirement from her career later. The event took place in Oslo. Ole invited current and retired athletes to the party. Those with whom the Norwegian competed throughout his career. However, many biathletes were unable to attend the important evening for Bjoerndalen. The Russian side at the event was represented by the “voice of biathlon” Dmitry Guberniev and Match TV correspondent Ilya Trifanov.

In addition to a delicious dinner, guests could enjoy live music, watch a performance by the Royal Norwegian Orchestra and an honor guard company, and study Bjoerndalen's awards, of which he had many. The main entertainment at the party was the dance of Ole and Daria. We have never seen biathletes in this role before.

They are building a house near Minsk

It was planned that the biathletes’ house in the village of Laporovichi, which is located 20 kilometers from Minsk, will be commissioned in 2016. However, construction was delayed. Now only finishing work remains. Athletes will be able to move in this fall.

The house, which locals nicknamed “the ship,” looks unusual in the Belarusian landscape. It is all the more surprising that Domracheva was involved in the design of the building. The mansion will have a gym, swimming pool and cinema. They say that the owners closely monitor the progress of construction and often come to Laporovichi.

Attended the World Cup final

There were many recognizable faces in the Luzhniki stands. Daria and Ole also came to Moscow for the final match. Domracheva had the flag of Belarus painted on her cheek, and Bjoerndalen had the flag of Norway. Although their national teams could not make it to the tournament. At the stadium, the couple took a selfie with actors Danila Kozlovsky (AKA Yuri Stoleshnikov) and Oleg Menshikov.

“It was nice to watch beautiful football. The World Championship is well organized. We are happy that we managed to get to the finals. Thank you, Moscow!” – Bjoerndalen said after the game to Match TV correspondent Yegor Kuznets.

Domracheva became an ambassador of the European Games, and Bjoerndalen became an honorary member of the FBN

When Ole Einar announced his retirement, many were sure that the Norwegian would not live long without biathlon. Anders Besseberg called Bjoerndalen his successor as head of the IBU, and in May the NRK publication reported that the eight-time Olympic champion would soon become the head coach of the Russian national team. According to a Norwegian media source, he was supposed to replace Rico Gross. But it seems that for now Bjoerndalen is more interested in his family than in finding a new job. The only biathlon post that Ole currently holds is an honorary member of the Norwegian Biathlon Federation. This appointment took place at the organization's gala in June.

Domracheva was offered the position of ambassador of the European Games, which will be held in Minsk next summer. Her task is to inform people about the competition, maintain and strengthen the tournament brand through her achievements and successes. The biathlete became the first person to be entrusted with the position of star ambassador of the Games.

Daria also runs her own clothing brand

The idea for the project came to Domracheva in the summer of 2016, when she was pregnant and could not participate in biathlon. But I missed my favorite sport. He became the inspiration for the first collection. According to Daria, the love of creativity was instilled in her by her architect parents.

Some clothes from Domracheva’s line have references to biathlon (five target eyes) and an image of the athlete. My husband also helps promote the brand.

Enjoying life in Belarus

The couple celebrated the start of their joint retirement with a day at sea. And then - to Belarus. The biathletes' vacation can be tracked using the hashtag #NorwegianInBelarus, which Daria came up with for her Instagram followers.

My acquaintance with Belarus began with a bathhouse.

The couple also attended the World Helicopter Championships. Daria, Ole, as well as Bjoerndalen’s younger brother and nephew flew over the outskirts of Minsk.

Last weekend, biathletes took a ride in the world's largest car - BELAZ. After the trip, they were awarded a certificate of successful completion of the initial mining dump truck driving course.

After Belarus, the couple will go to Norway. This trip also has its own hashtag - #BelarusianinNorway.

Photo: globallookpress.com, RIA Novosti/Viktor Tolochko

Katya Kulinicheva tells how the 8-time Olympic champion, 20-time world champion and this winter's hero stays in shape. And what else can we learn from him?

When Emil Hegle Svendsen, Ole Einar Bjoerndalen's younger colleague on the Norwegian national team, was once asked whether he considered himself capable of catching up with his compatriot in terms of greatness, he answered with a laugh: “I can hardly even reach his ankles.” Fans are offering €60,000 for a pair of his competition skis. A lifetime monument was erected to him.

The sporting longevity of the biathlon king, who humorously refers to himself as “my old body,” has long been a topic for inquisitive discussions among sports fans. Many people don’t understand how he does it or why. Bjoerndalen won his last, eighth Olympic gold in 2014 in Sochi, just two years ago. Despite his promises to leave biathlon at the end of the current season, it would be correct to clarify: “the last for now.” After all, he already changed his mind once.

Since 2002, Bjoerndalen has been training mostly according to individual plans, periodically attracting various specialists of various profiles to his team. He is known to experiment a lot. With the design of boots, the shape of poles, with training programs and psychological preparation. I once contacted a specialist in walking on coals. And for this season, for example, I was preparing with a special mobile center in a small van, combining a training block and a laboratory. Ole Einar himself says about this: “When I’m on a roll and achieve success, I become very creative.”

The Norwegian is quite willing to share those details of his sports regime that may be useful to mere mortals. For example, he advises to engage in different sports, and not focus on one - this helps to better understand your own body and, as a result, avoid unnecessary injuries.

Once Ole Einar recorded for one of his sponsors a short video course of three exercises with Nordic walking poles, which will help everyone prepare for the ski season.

1. Nordic walking on hilly terrain with a natural range of motion to strengthen the hips and core.
2. Move with the same poles, but as if bouncing, minimally bending the leg at the hip joint to strengthen the legs. According to the athlete, this is how moose run.
3. Moving around with Nordic walking poles, bouncing on each leg and twisting your body at the same time, is similar to what children do.

Bjoerndalen has also publicly confessed his love for bananas, which he considers the best snack during active training, an excellent alternative to sports drinks and a means to prevent muscle cramps. The biathlete himself estimated that he ate more than 30,000 pieces of these fruits during his career.

Ole Einar generally talks quite a lot about food and with pleasure, although he calls himself a generally unpretentious person. Once he even admitted that he eats at least five times a day, and the first thought with which he usually wakes up is about food.

“You could say that I’m always hungry,” the Norwegian admitted. “Although this is normal for an athlete: if you train a lot, that means you eat a lot.”

Ole Einar's culinary preferences partly shatter the image of a boring and correct superman, slightly out of this world, that exists in the imagination of many people. Like the photo of him topless in bed with a couple dozen white teddy bears, which he posted on Twitter on the last day of the Sochi Olympics. Bjoerndalen confessed his love for Italian cuisine, which he called optimal for a professional athlete, sushi and ice cream (his favorite dessert). He can afford it: with a height of almost 180 cm, the athlete has a medium-sized constitution and weighs just under 70 kg.

And not so long ago, Ole Einar, together with fellow athletes, took part in working on a book called “Gold in the Mouth,” in which famous Norwegian champions shared their favorite recipes.

But Bjoerndalen is interesting to everyone not only for his exercises and recipes. What else can his brilliant career teach him?

For example, the fact that what you love has no less noticeable cosmetic effect on a person than all the masks and creams in the world. Compare his current photos with shots from 15 years ago (most likely, the comparison will be in favor of modern photos). Look into his burning eyes. Think about it: does he seem like a grandfather in the company of his young colleagues?

“Various things could happen to my body, and sometimes this prevented me from achieving results in sports. But I never had problems with incentives,” Bjoerndalen will say.

Is it any wonder that two years ago he changed his mind about leaving the sport and stayed for two more seasons?

“I was going to retire after the Olympics, but I was not ready for this,” explained the Norwegian. - Putting an end to a long-standing passion is never easy. And I was involved in biathlon professionally from the age of 12 or 13: nine training sessions a week, and so on from year to year. I realized that I want to run for two more years, and I will really regret it if I don’t try.”

Ole Einar Bjoerndalen is a biathlete from Norway, the most decorated Olympian in the history of the Winter Games. The athlete has 13 Olympic medals, including eight gold; 20 gold medals at the World Championships and 6 victories at the Biathlon World Cup. The Norwegian biathlete is the absolute world record holder for victories in personal races. Ole Einar has 95 first places. In team disciplines the figure is also a record – 36 gold medals. Bjoerndalen continues to improve his skills and win, breaking the stereotype about the age of an athlete.

Ole Einar was born on January 27, 1974 in Drammen, Norway. The boy was brought up in a large family, in which two more sons and two daughters were growing up. The father of the family was fond of sports in his youth, but was forced to learn another profession due to the birth of children. Bjoerndalen Sr. founded the farm.

It would be strange if a child born in Norway did not master skiing. But Ole showed great promise, so his parents sent the boy to a ski school. In addition, Ole was interested in football, handball, cycling and athletics.

And the young man took up biathlon following the example of his older brother Doug. Ole Bjoerndalen was 12 years old at the time, and he came with good preparation - the aspiring biathlete already had several victories in skiing competitions under his belt. The boy was attracted to this new sport by the need to switch from dynamic to measured skiing. According to the athlete, this is not given to everyone.

At the first stage of his sports biography, Ole Einar Bjoerndalen did not shoot accurately - he had to work with a psychologist and live in a regime of 10 training sessions a week.

Biathlon

Ole made his debut as a professional biathlete at the age of 18 - these were serious adult competitions. By that time, the biathlete’s height was 179 cm, and his weight did not exceed 65 kg. In 1994, two years after the start, the athlete already competed at the Olympic Games in Lillehammer. Ole Einar did not show significant results - he lacked experience.

For the next four years, Ole Einar Bjoerndalen trained with renewed vigor. During this time, the athlete’s performance at the World Cup began to improve: in the 94/95 season, Ole Einar became a double bronze medalist in the sprint distance, and took 1st place in the relay. A year later, the biathlete won first places in the individual race and relay race and a number of silver and bronze awards. At the end of 1997, the athlete became second in the overall standings, and Ole got the coveted first place at the World Cup in 1998. After that, every year at the World Cups for 11 years, the athlete was among the top three winners of the championship.

Such preparation also influenced the biathlete’s results at the Olympic Games.

As a result, from the 1998 Olympics, held in Nagano, the Norwegian brought two medals - gold and silver. An even greater triumph awaited the biathlete at the next Olympic Games. In Salt Lake City, the Norwegian skier won four victories and became the absolute champion. In the same 2002, Bjoerndalen won several more serious competitions.

Starting from 2009, the seasons were not so brilliant for Ole Einar; the athlete even thought about ending his sports career. But the results at the Olympics were excellent; the older skier was in no way inferior to his young competitors in terms of the number of awards. In 2014, Ole Einar Bjoerndalen was named the best participant in the Olympiad. After the closing of the Olympic Games in Sochi, the Norwegian received a seat in the IOC. At the same time, Bjoerndalen decided to stay in biathlon.

The Norwegian is deservedly called the king of biathlon, although this title is given to Ole Bjoerndalen through titanic efforts. The athlete follows how this sport develops, observes the tactics of the performances of young athletes, adopting positive experience.

Personal life

The most titled biathlete in the world willingly talks to journalists about sports, but is reserved in comments regarding his personal life. Bjoerndalen does not hide the fact that such questions are unpleasant.

Ole Einar lived for six years with Italian biathlete Natalie Santer. The young people met in 1998, liked each other, met infrequently - the busy sports schedule of both did not allow it. Ole and Natalie got married in 2006 and separated in 2012. There were no children in this marriage.

The biathletes did not comment on the reasons for the divorce, but there was information in the press that the divorce from Natalie took place because of Ole Einar’s passion for the Belarusian biathlete Daria Domracheva. The athlete traditionally did not comment on information in newspapers, but since 2010, after the Olympics in Vancouver, athletes have often been seen together.

In July 2016, Ole Bjoerndalen said on his personal page in “ Instagram"about the wedding with Daria Domracheva. In October 2016, the wife gave birth to a daughter. Soon, a photo with his wife and a baby stroller appeared on the athlete’s account.

Ole Einar Bjoerndalen now

In 2017, after a scandal involving positive doping tests among Russian athletes, Ole Einar spoke out in defense of the Russians. The Norwegian champion emphasized that WADA’s practice of forcing national anti-doping agencies to recognize the existence of state systems to support athletes’ doping makes any athlete vulnerable and does not guarantee that there will be “no scratches” on the doping test of each Olympic participant.

At the end of the year, the coaching staff of the Norwegian national team approved the list of biathletes who were included in the national team athletes to participate in the World Cup stages held in Germany. In addition to Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, the men's team included Lars Helge Birkeland, Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen, Erlend Øvreng Bjöntegård, Henrik LAbeLund and . Based on the results obtained during the course in Oberhof and Ruhpolding, a team will be formed to participate in the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang.

Ole Einar Bjoerndalen did not fulfill the requirements established for future representatives of the Norwegian team at the Olympic Games. In the first sprint, the biathlete came 52nd, and finished 36th in the pursuit race. Thanks to the victory in the relay race at the stage in Hochfilzen, which took place at the end of 2017, the athlete’s overall ranking reached only 40th place, which is not enough to participate in the Olympics. The necessary conditions have already been fulfilled by two team members - champions Tarjei Boe and Johannes Boe.

The biathlete hoped to make up for lost time and get to Pyeongchang. However, the young athletes turned out to be more effective, and as a result, Ole did not qualify for the Norwegian Olympic team for the first time in many years. He came to Pyeongchang as a consultant and coach of the Belarusian national team, rejoicing at every victory of his players.

In April 2018, the legendary athlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen announced his retirement. According to the Norwegian, he could still “run”, but doctors advised him to quit sports due to heart problems.

Awards

• 1998 - gold and silver medals at the Olympic Games in Nagano
• 2002 – four gold medals at the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City
• 2006 - two silver and bronze medals at the Olympic Games in Turin
• 2010 – gold and silver medals at the Olympic Games in Vancouver
• 2014 - two gold medals at the Olympic Games in Sochi

In addition, Bjoerndalen remembered how the wedding ceremony took place in the summer.

"Daria is incredible"

She is very good and eats and sleeps most of the time. It’s just a pleasure to be the father of this girl,” says Ole Einar Bjoerndalen.

The most titled biathlete in history also never ceases to admire his wife.

Daria is incredible. She is at least as good a mother as she is a biathlete. Her life has changed a lot lately, but she is coping just fine. Ksenia eats with pleasure at night, and Daria has to take on the main burden,” says Ole Einar, looking lovingly at his wife.

Bjoerndalen is happy with the pre-season preparations, he managed to do most of the training work, and he intends to continue to fight for medals.

We were prepared for what was to come, so the changes didn't affect me as much. I managed to train almost as normal with minor adjustments. A trailer, equipped with everything necessary for preparation, was also with me in Minsk. We used it for two months before our daughter was born. Everything I need is there. Now it has already been transferred to Norway. So everything is in its place,” says Bjoerndalen.

Photo: Vadim Zamirovsky, TUT.BY

Now the star family expects a lot of travel. Bjoerndalen's base is in Obertilliach, Austria. They will also spend time in Minsk, where Daria Domracheva is building a house.

Secret wedding, beautiful ceremony

This spring, Ole Einar and Daria announced their relationship. In addition, they talked about the fact that they were expecting a child. To the surprise of many, the couple managed to formalize their relationship before the birth of their daughter. The ceremony took place on July 7 in an idyllic church in the mountains in Shushen (top corner in the photo).

This did not come as a surprise to us. We had been planning this for a long time and wanted to have a quiet celebration with close friends and family members in a beautiful setting. And we succeeded,” says Bjoerndalen.

The church is located in a place that is very familiar to Norwegians. He ran countless kilometers on the trails in Shushen. The wedding turned out to be so secret that only a few knew about it.

The event became known more than a week later, when the couple posted a photo from the holiday, where they smiled widely at the camera.

We planned everything together down to the smallest detail. Everything went exactly the way we wanted. It was just perfect, but we’ll keep the details to ourselves,” says Bjoerndalen.

“Rivals have something to fear”

Bjoerndalen has already started the winter season and is looking forward to the races of the first stage of the World Cup, which starts on November 28 in Östersund. Later, from February 8 to 19, the World Championships will be held in Hochfilzen, and shortly before that Ole Einar will turn 43 years old. But the biathlete really wants to go there and try to extract the precious metal again.

Bjoerndalen has eight Olympic gold medals and 20 world championship medals. No one in the history of biathlon can compare with the hero from Simostranda.

I don't know about the number of medals. You probably know this better than me. “I will gratefully accept new victories, although I know that winning will not be easy,” he says. “There are still a few more weeks of intense training ahead, so I’m where I need to be.”

Bjoerndalen managed to avoid illness, and this is unlikely to be good news for his rivals.

Hehe, let's hope they have something to fear. In any case, for my part, I will do everything possible, and we’ll see what it’s enough for,” he says modestly.

Bodyguards are needed only in Russia

Ole Einar is a megastar in many parts of the world interested in sports. One of its main sponsors is the Russian chain of sports stores Ski World.

“Perhaps my biggest fans are in Russia, Germany and Norway,” he says.

Only in Russia does he sometimes need bodyguards.

I feel a lot of pressure there. Obviously biathlon is very loved and popular, but I must add that I have never been in any scary situations. “I need bodyguards to get from one place to another,” Bjoerndalen clarifies.

Domracheva hopes to return to racing in January

These days, the Belarusian national biathlon team is working at a training camp in Shushen, Norway. Based on its results, the lineups for participation in the opening stages of the World Cup in Östersund and the IBU Cup in Beitostolen will be determined.

The first stage of the Biathlon World Cup of the 2016/2017 season starts on November 27 in Östersund with mixed relays (mixed and super mixed). On November 30, there will be an individual 15 km race for women, and a 20 km individual race for men on December 1. Sprint races will take place on December 3, and the stage will end on December 4 with pursuit races.

As part of the women's team, Nadezhda Skardino, Anastasia Kinnunen (Duborezova), Nadezhda Pisareva, Irina Krivko, Anna Sola, Kristina Ilchenko, Daria Yurkevich, Maria Panfilova, Dinara Alimbekova are preparing for the season.

Three-time Olympic champion Daria Domracheva also began training on snow in Shushen, who began training in Raubichi four weeks after the birth of her daughter Ksenia. Bjoerndalen also prepared for the season there. And then the star family moved to Norway.

Domracheva and Bjoerndalen train together. Photo: facebook.com

In early November, it became known that the daughter of the famous biathlon couple would bear her father’s surname.

It was previously reported that Norwegian coach Roger Grubben, who once helped Ole Einar Bjoerndalen achieve impressive success, will help Domracheva prepare for the 2018 Olympics.

Domracheva hopes to return to racing in January. And if functional readiness allows, Daria expects to compete for medals at the World Championships in Hochfilzen, which will begin on February 9, 2017.

In the men's team of Belarus in Shushen, Roman Eletnov, Yuri Lyadov, Sergei Chepelin, Viktor Krivko, Maxim Vorobey, Dmitry Dyuzhev, Dmitry Abashev, Alexander Dorozhko and Sergei Bocharnikov are preparing for the new season.

Meanwhile, two months before the start of the season, the post of head coach of the Belarusian national team was unexpectedly left by Russian specialist Valery Polkhovsky, who took over the team in May. The helm of the national team was urgently taken over by the most experienced Belarusian coach Yuri Albers, who was previously responsible at the Biathlon Federation for holding international and republican competitions.