Beijing 2022: China’s high-profile biathlon coaches under pressure to push athletes amid lack of competition
- Ole Einar Bjorndalen, an eight-time Olympic gold medallist, and his wife Darya Domracheva, with four golds, face a number challenges in China
- Bjorndalen says they have been asked to train the athletes harder but feels they also need plenty of rest
China’s big-name European biathlon coaches said their athletes are in high spirits one year out from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, despite pressure being applied to intensify training and the lack of world-class competition.
Chinese authorities have invested heavily in hiring world-class coaches from overseas to ensure their athletes shine at home when Beijing hosts the Games in February next year. Norwegian legend Ole Einar Bjorndalen, an eight-time gold medallist, and his Belarusian wife Darya Domracheva, with four golds, were recruited in September 2019 to turn the Chinese biathlon squad into world-beaters.
However, in an interview with the Olympic Channel, they talked about the hurdles they must overcome, including a lack of competition because of the Covid-19 pandemic and a culture of training beyond limits.
“The pressure is very high. They push us to train athletes harder and harder,” said Bjorndalen.
“But everybody knows that sometimes you need to let them rest too. That is our job – to find the balance in all training because China is very motivated, athletes are motivated and everyone knows that more is not always better. We need to be smart and take small steps. This is the fastest way to the top.”
The pair are among a number of high-profile coaches China has brought over from overseas to develop their athletes, Britain’s skeleton coach Andy Schmidt being among them.