The competition in the Norwegian men’s team is huge. One of the victims of them is Vetle Sjastad Christiansen, who falls by the wayside at the Biathlon World Cup in Pokljuka – and therefore goes to the ceiling.
Vetle Sjastad Christiansen, who convinced last weekend with a win and two other podium in the second-class IBU Cup, is Stocksauer. Despite his very good performances, the 32-year-old was not nominated for the upcoming Biathlon World Cup in Pokljuka-even though the Norwegian association sends eight athletes to Slovenia.
“I don’t understand damn why I’m not being taken to Pokljuka. I am completely frustrated. If it had been possible, I would have changed my employer, ”Christiansen took no leaf in an interview with the NRK and assumed that the association did not decide on the current criteria.
Vetle Sjastad Christiansen rages against the Norwegian association
Coaches Christiansen’s frustration counter
Instead of Christiansen, returnees Johannes Dale -Skjevdal and debutant Isak Frey were appointed – completely incomprehensible, the veteran believes. “The association is very worried about mental health and then they treat athletes like this,” said Christiansen, who became fifth in the overall World Cup last season, but this winter is between the World Cup and the IBU Cup.
“The nomination takes place according to two criteria – the international results and the current form. And you don’t look at both. It is clear that this does something with an athlete’s psyche, ”continued Christiansen. Explosive: The Norwegian is so frustrated that he even leaves out the season finale in the IBU Cup. “I couldn’t handle it. I couldn’t stay for the IBU Cup in Otepää and pretend that everything was fine ”.
His coaches can partly understand Christiansen’s trouble, but at the same time emphasize that he has sometimes leaned too far out of the window. “Anyone who wants to start and is not taken is disappointed. But I think he should be a little more careful when he brings mental health into play, ”replied National coach via Arne Botnan. His shooting coach Siegfried Mazet was also confronted with the statements of his protégé and reacted meaningfully.
“We don’t work that way”
“It’s a shame, I could have told some things about Vetle. But I don’t do it, it stays with us, ”said Mazet. “There are only six places and Isak has completed a great season. Vetle may have been a little better than Dale-Skjevdal, but when we look at the season as a whole, I think that Isak and Johannes were a little better, ”he said.
Because of his performance in the last three races, Christiansen can argue that, Botnan said: “But we don’t work that way. We are always concerned with performance over a longer period of time. And Johannes showed good performances with us over a longer period of time, so he was chosen here and lies in front of Vetle. ”
Mazet also made it clear that “we sometimes don’t agree, because Vetle can speak very well and say what he thinks. But I’m not worried, we’ll get through it. ” For the time being, however, there is thick air between Christiansen and his trainer.