The 42-year-old eight-time Olympic champion gave an exclusive interview to SE during his visit to Moscow.
Bjoerndalen moves as quickly in life as he does on the track. Just the day before, at a press conference in Norway, he announced two news: one, quite predictable, about continuing his career at least until the 2018 Olympic Games in South Korea; and the second, unexpectedly pleasant one, that she and the Belarusian biathlete Daria Domracheva will become parents in October.
The very next day, Bjoerndalen presented his own watch collection in Moscow together with the Certina company. The Norwegian was true to himself: an impeccable classic suit, thoughtful and extremely correct answers to any questions. At the same time, Bjoerndalen cannot be denied a sense of humor and self-irony: for example, before the start of the interview, he suggested vacuuming the hotel carpet, because there may be germs there. And then he defiantly extended his hand to the TV journalist - here, they say, is proof that in fact I do not suffer from paranoia and calmly shake hands with strangers, without thinking about potential viruses.
But the topic of personal life still remains taboo for Bjoerndalen. The great Norwegian admitted that he and Domracheva are a couple and are expecting a child. But he did not intend to go deeper and warned in advance that it was better not to ask him questions on this topic.
"BIATHLON IS A HOBBY FOR ME, NOT A JOB"
After a brilliant performance at the home World Championships in Oslo, you apparently had almost no doubts about whether to continue your career. Or did this decision cost you several sleepless nights?
- No, this time the decision was not as difficult for me as it was two years ago, in 2014, after the Olympics in Sochi. Now I feel the strength and desire to run, my results last season were simply fantastic: I won four medals at the home World Championships, won and was on the podium at the World Cup. Although, of course, I still had something to discuss with the people closest to me: family, coaches, doctors.
- Do you see any disadvantages for yourself in staying in biathlon for at least two more years?
- Of course I see! There is a fairly high chance that in one of the next seasons I will not be able to achieve results and will perform catastrophically poorly. And people say that you should quit sports when you are at the top. And if I left now, I would be guaranteed to do so, without any risk.
- But you really didn’t want to leave now?
- To be honest, I still enjoy playing sports. It’s not even about the result; I enjoy the process of achieving it. The case when the path is more interesting than the goal. Therefore, biathlon is a hobby for me, not a job. Work is, for example, what I do now: sponsorship events, interviews and the like. And in my free time I can do what I want, that is, go to train.
You mentioned the day before that you are no less motivated now than you were 20 years ago. But surely the current incentives are very different from those that were in the past - a beginner athlete is one thing, and an eight-time Olympic champion is another?
- Perhaps motivation should change over the years, but for me it doesn’t. Both then and now I did biathlon because I like it. Of course, I am aware that sooner or later the day will come when I will have to leave the sport. I have to feel this moment with my heart. So far, it seems to me, he has not come.
It seems to me that even when you stop competing, you will continue to train as before - because you simply cannot do without it?
- Of course, if only because suddenly stopping training is dangerous to your health. I will reduce my loads, but very gradually.
- Tell us about your training - how does it change as you age?
- Now I train a little less than at the beginning of my career. But I focus on quality, speed work, and various technical aspects. I have never paid as much attention to this as I do now.
You were never afraid of experiments - you changed your skiing technique several times, performed with curved poles. Should we expect something similar in the future?
- Yes, sure. I'm collaborating with a ski company and we're preparing something interesting. Also next year, the service person we worked with throughout my career is leaving my team. He said he was tired and wanted to spend more time at home. Although he will still help me during the preparatory period. I'm sorry, but this is my friend and I have to respect his decision.
- People around you get tired and leave, but you stay...
- Of course, it’s not easy to work with me. I can be demanding and persistent. But my results are largely the result of the work of my team.
"NORTHUG - PARTY CHAMPION"
Your compatriot, two-time Olympic champion skier Petter Northug is looking forward to how you will celebrate the good news in your personal life together at the “Race of Champions” in Tyumen. Are you ready?
- Petter is my good friend, we have a great relationship. I would love to celebrate everything with him, but I can’t do it. When it comes to partying, Northug is a true pro, a champion. I don’t know how to have fun like that, I’m much more modest here. I also like holidays, I like to relax a little, but I’m far from some.
You run no worse than young people, but in life you behave like a mature man - from the classic style of clothing to the refusal of wild parties. How old do you feel?
- It’s hard to forget that I’m already 42, but I feel much younger. Well, maybe 25 years maximum. I like the feeling that I can still compete on equal terms with guys who are 21-22 years old, and even beat them. I'm old enough to be the father of Johannes Boe, so what? This makes me feel young and strong like before.
In 2007, when we did an interview during the World Ski Championships in Sapporo, you said: “Little children often get sick, and I can’t afford it. Two professional athletes with children is not an optimal option.” Apparently your opinion has changed since then?
- I don't remember these specific words. It seems to me that in general this topic is just another story that is written about me and which has no relation to reality. I never said that I don’t want and don’t like children. The infection can be caught anywhere; the more people around, the greater the likelihood. But that’s not a reason not to communicate with anyone, right? You just need to take certain precautions, such as washing your hands before eating.
- How are you and Daria Domracheva going to combine raising a child and active performances?
- This will be a new life, very different from the one we led before. Daria wants to start competing in January, and I'm looking forward to that moment. Apparently, it will not be easy to combine everything, but we are not the first to follow this path.
- How are you doing in learning Russian?
- No way, I practically don’t understand or speak a word. Although it would be great to learn a little: for example, here in Moscow, I would like to get behind the wheel, but as soon as I saw a noisy intersection and realized that I didn’t know the language at all, I changed my mind.
Ole Einar BJORNDALEN in Olympic Sochi. Photo by Fyodor USPENSKY, "SE"
"I WOULD BE HAPPY TO RETURN TO PYEONGCHANG AGAIN"
- Have you heard anything about the latest doping scandals involving Russian athletes?
- Yes, but I don’t think I have the right to give any comments on this topic.
- Have you personally ever been offered doping?
- No. I lived in Austria, Italy and Norway and was always and everywhere extremely careful with the drugs I took. Sometimes you have to double-check everything several times until you find a familiar tool that you are confident in. But this is entirely the responsibility of the athlete, because in case of a mistake, you will expose not only yourself personally, but also your team.
- How do you feel about the Frenchman Martin Fourcade being called the “second Bjoerndalen”?
- Martin is a fantastic biathlete and of course he will be the first Fourcade, not the second Bjoerndalen. At the moment Fourcade is the best in the world. What I like is that he is not only physically strong, but also a very smart athlete. It’s difficult to explain how it works, but it’s this intelligence that helps him cope with difficult situations that not everyone can get out of. .
Our Olympic champion Olga Medvedtseva said that when you finally end your career, she will cry. Do you often encounter such manifestations of feelings?
- Very often. I'm glad that people think that way, but I can't draw motivation from such words. It is somewhere inside me, not outside.
At the 2009 World Championships in Pyeongchang, Korea, where the next Olympics will be held, you won four gold medals. But that tournament was also remembered for your offensive mistake, when in the pursuit race you missed the right turn and accidentally cut off a few meters...
- That championship turned out to be one of the best in my career, despite very difficult conditions - constant wind, rain, lack of snow. As for that incident, I actually mistakenly drove on the bridge, and not under it. It's my fault, although the route markings weren't done in the best way. I think the jury of appeal then made the right decision, leaving me with gold, since I was the strongest athlete in that race. But I am aware that there are people who think differently. I will be glad to return to Pyeongchang in good shape in two years and try to repeat the same thing, but without mistakes.
Ole Einar Bjoerndalen is the recognized king of biathlon. His track record includes eight Olympic gold medals, twenty victories at the World Championships and about a hundred personal victories at the World Cup stages.
Born 01/27/1974
Achievements:
- Eight-time Olympic champion (Nagano 1998 - sprint, Salt Lake City 2002 - individual race, sprint, pursuit, relay, Vancouver 2010 - relay, Sochi 2014 - sprint, mixed relay).
- Four-time silver medalist of the Olympic Games (Nagano 1998 - relay, Turin 2006 - individual race, pursuit, Vancouver 2010 - individual race).
- Bronze medalist at the 2006 Olympic Games in the mass start.
- Twenty-time world champion (1998 - team race, 2003 - sprint, mass start, 2005 - sprint, pursuit, mass start, relay, 2007 - sprint, pursuit, 2008 - pursuit, 2009 - sprint, pursuit, individual race, relay, 2011 - mixed relay, relay, 2012 - mixed relay, relay, 2013 - relay, 2016 - relay).
- Fourteen-time silver medalist at the World Championships (1997 - relay, 1998 - pursuit, 2000 - relay, 2001 - mass start, 2004 - relay, 2006 - mixed relay, 2007 - relay, 2008 - individual race, relay, mass start, 2010 – mixed relay, 2015 – relay, 2016 – sprint, pursuit).
- Eleven-time bronze medalist of the world championships (1997 - pursuit, 1999 - relay, mass start, 2000 - mass start, 2001 - relay, 2004 - sprint, pursuit, individual race, 2008 - sprint, 2016 - mass start, 2017 – pursuit race).
- World Cup winner in the seasons 1997/1998, 2002/2003, 2004/2005, 2005/2006, 2007/2008, 2008/2009.
- Silver medalist of the World Cup 1996/1997, 1998/1999, 1999/2000, 2000/2001, 2003/2004, 2006/2007.
- Bronze medalist of the 2001/2002 World Cup.
- World Cup stages: 95 victories, 53 second and 30 third places.
First seasons
The most popular sport in Norway is skiing, so Bjoerndalen didn't have much choice. However, having received basic skiing training, Ole Einar followed the example of his older brother Dag and switched to biathlon.
In the 1992/1993 season, the young biathlete achieved his first successes - first he won twice at the Norwegian Youth Championships, and then became a three-time world junior champion.
Victories at the junior level paved the way for Bjoerndalen to join the main team of the Norwegian national team for the home Olympic Games in Lillehammer. True, the debutant did not win any special laurels at such major competitions, limiting himself to 28th and 36th places in individual races and 7th in the relay.
But this was only the beginning of a long journey. The young athlete finally consolidates his position in the main team of the country and already in the next season makes it to the podium three times, finishing in 4th position in the World Cup, and is one step away from a medal in the sprint race at the World Championships.
Despite the fact that Bjoerndalen won his first cup victory, he finished the 1995/1996 season in 9th place. The reason for this is unstable shooting, which especially hinders the Norwegian in individual races. But as soon as the young athlete improves his hit percentage, he immediately becomes a regular on the podium. In the winter of 1997, Ole Einar finally established himself as a top biathlete, reaping a harvest of victories and prizes at cup stages and winning his first medals at the world championships - bronze in the pursuit and silver in the relay.
Nagano-1998
Bjoerndalen approached the Nagano Olympics in excellent shape, winning the final cup sprint and finishing second in the previous two. The non-randomness of the Norwegian results was confirmed in Japan. With perfect shooting, he brought a minute to his compatriot Frode Andresen.
Moreover, he had to prove his superiority twice - the day before Ole Einar also excelled, but the organizers canceled the results of the sprint race due to bad weather, and the athletes had to go to the start the next day. Unconditional victory!
Bjoerndalen also performed brilliantly in the relay. Without any extra ammunition on the range and completing his fourth round with the fastest time, he led Norway to the silver medal. Ole Einar ended his triumphant season with a victory in the overall World Cup.
No big victories
The performance in Nagano confirmed that Bjoerndalen, along with Andresen, has the best move. It would seem that now there will be no problems: shoot well and win. But not everything is so simple - the Germans Fischer, Luke and Gross were still good, ours and Rostovtsev shot in some races, and the Frenchman grew into an elite biathlete.
But Bjoerndalen still couldn’t get his shooting going, which let him down at the most inopportune moments. So, at three world championships in a row (1999-2001), he was never able to get into the prizes in his favorite sprint and pursuit, taking 4th and 5th places in it, but he became a regular on the podium at world championships in a new discipline - mass start.
Consistent performances at the cup stages brought the Norwegian three consecutive second positions in the World Cup, but they hardly pleased their owner after the triumphant Nagano. Moreover, in terms of speed, as a rule, he had no equal. All that remained was to deal with the shooting.
Salt Lake City 2002
At the American Games, the pursuit race was included in the Olympic tournament program for the first time, which doubly increased the importance of the sprint race. And then Bjoerndalen had a breakthrough - just like four years ago, he closed all ten targets and became the champion, having received a 29-second handicap over Fischer before the pursuit, which resulted in a convincing gold pursuit.
Well, the champion’s victorious march in the capital of the Mormons began with an individual race - “just” two mistakes did not prevent the fleet-footed Norwegian, who took fifth place in the ski mass start shortly before the start of the biathlon program, from convincingly winning the top twenty.
Ole Einar Bjoerndalen - triumphant 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City Bjoerndalen's series of golden performances was crowned by the relay race, with which he became a four-time winner and the main hero of Salt Lake City 2002. Greatest performance at the Olympics!
Domination
Success at the Olympic Games inspired Ole Einar, who from the next season until the end of the 2000s began to literally churn out victories. In seven years, he won five World Cups and eleven gold medals at world championships: sprint and mass start in Khanty-Mansiysk 2003, sprint, pursuit and mass start in Hochfilzen 2005, sprint and pursuit in Anterselva 2007, pursuit in Ostersund 2008, sprint, pursuit and individual race in Pyeongchang 2009.
Amazing speed, which was maintained from the first stage of the season to the last, and stable shooting made Bjoerndalen the favorite in absolutely every race. And the Norwegian justified his status at all world championships, except Oberhof, when Poiret still did not allow him to reach the gold. Particularly chic is the fact that Ole Einar won the overall world cup championships, missing several stages every year.
By the mid-2000s, Bjoerndalen’s successes had become so commonplace that he was given the nickname “king of biathlon,” which he had to confirm in Turin 2006. However, shortly before the Olympics, something happened to the Norwegian that you cannot insure against - an illness, as a result of which the favorite had to completely redraw his training plan and go to Italy not in the best condition. Alas, the temporary downtime and decline in form affected the results: silver in the individual and pursuit and bronze in the mass start. An excellent catch for any athlete, but not for Ole Einar, who planned to repeat the success of four years ago and had every reason to do so.
Recession
Bjoerndalen arrived at the Olympic Games in Vancouver at the age of 36 - an experienced athlete, but still capable of great victories. However, in Canada, as in Italy, he again made a mistake in the sprint, which even the pursuit did not help. The mass start was a complete failure – 27th place. But the Norwegian succeeded in the twenty - second place. And, of course, let’s note the relay - Bjoerndalen cheerfully dealt with his rivals in the final stage and became a six-time Olympic champion.
Surprisingly, no one thought that the Norwegian was in decline, which is typical for an athlete of his age. It seemed to everyone around that an unfortunate accident had occurred at the Olympics. However, this was only the beginning of a protracted dive. After a great start to the 2010/2011 season, the king vacated his throne. From now on, he was no longer the fastest on the track, and his shooting left much to be desired. As a result, Bjoerndalen turned into a second-tier biathlete, balancing on the edge of the top ten.
In three calendar years, he won only one victory at the cup stages, and his best result at the world championships was fourth place in the sprint in 2013. At the same time, we must pay tribute, the veteran was good in relay races, regularly replenishing his gold baggage in them.
Sochi triumph
According to Ole Einar, the 2013/2014 season was to be his last in his career, so he paid special attention to preparing for the Olympics. Shortly before the Sochi starts, Bjoerndalen got into decent shape, competing on equal terms in speed with Svendsen and Fourcade, the fastest biathletes of that period.
But even the visible improvement in condition did not make the Norwegian a favorite - winning at 40 years old against 25-30 year olds is fantastic. But miracles happen: Bjoerndalen brought his best form to Russia in the last five years and became a triumphant sprint, winning it with one penalty and showing the absolutely best performance over the distance. And the mixed relay made him a two-time Sochi champion.
At the same time, he had excellent chances for medals in the pursuit and classic relay, in which he was content with fourth places. And if in the first case, he was separated from the podium, and possibly even victory, by one mistake (there were three in total), then in the second, “thank you” must be said to Svendsen, who failed the decisive stage.
Latest successes
Inspired by his success in Sochi, Bjoerndalen changed his mind about leaving the sport, declaring that he would remain in biathlon until the end of the 2015/2016 season. The joy of his fans knew no bounds - Ole Einar will say goodbye to them at the home World Cup.
Having started right off the bat at the cup stages, the Norwegian was well suited to the main start of the season. His speed, of course, was slower than that of Fourcade and Johannes Boe, but compared to the others he was good. The shooting at the home stadium also went well. As a result, the 42-year-old super-veteran became second in the sprint and pursuit, excelled as part of the relay four and won bronze in the mass start.
What a beautiful end to a career - but no! Bjoerndalen surprises the public again by declaring that he plans to run until the next Olympics. However, this time a miracle did not happen - despite the fact that he did not leave the 2017 World Championships empty-handed (bronze in the pursuit), the Norwegian was disappointed in the Olympic season - his results dropped sharply, and he was not able to qualify for the team .
And in April 2018, something happened that should have happened a long time ago - Bjoerndalen announced his retirement. But despite the disappointing final note, Ole Einar has nothing to be sad about. Biathlon gave him everything he could in terms of satisfying his personal ambitions. And, of course, the Norwegian should thank fate that thanks to his favorite sport he has Daria Domracheva and daughter Ksenia.
King of Biathlon
It is useless to argue about who is the best biathlete of all time - the facts speak for Bjoerndalen. No other shooting skier has as many awards as he has. Even if suddenly the monstrous Martin Fourcade overtakes Ole Einar in the number of cup victories and gold medals at the World Championships and Olympic Games, this will not in any way undermine the status of our hero. Bjoerndalen is a synonym for the word “biathlon”, a person in love with the sport, who has lived for 30 years with the goal of self-improvement.
The visual factor also adds majestic epithets to the final assessment of the Norwegian’s career: winning sprints with an almost minute advantage, without outwardly straining, and becoming first in the overall World Cup standings, missing several stages per season, signs of a king.
Announced his retirement. This news did not come as a surprise: the 44-year-old Norwegian was preparing for a fateful statement, which was repeatedly announced, professionally stirring up interest.
Bjoerndalen announced the decision to put his skis on the stove and hang up his rifle at a press conference in Simostrand, a village with a population of three hundred people, where the idol of millions spent his childhood and where a monument worth €130 thousand was erected to him ten years ago.
During the performance, the super-aged athlete could not hold back his tears.
“I still have motivation, and sport still brings me pleasure,” he admitted. - I'd be lying if I said I was tired. I feel strong enough to spend a few more seasons, but this one was still my last.”
Indirect hints make it clear that Bjoerndalen could have finished a couple of years ago, but he was attracted by the opportunity to compete at his seventh Olympics. This aspiration, however, suffered a severe fiasco - it was not possible to be selected based on sports.
The unusual experience turned out to be encouraging: the biathlete won silver in the mass start and gold in the relay on the track at the Alpensia resort.
Later it turned out that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) offered Bjoerndalen to shoot for Belarus and as a biathlete. He, however, responded with a categorical refusal: he did not want to be known as a traitor in his homeland.
As a result, the collection of Olympic medals of the famous Norwegian stood at 13: eight gold, four silver and one bronze in the period 1998-2014. The Olympics in Salt Lake City 2002 turned out to be the most fruitful for Bjoerndalen, which he approached in the prime of his life (28 years old) - victories in the individual race, sprint, pursuit and relay.
As follows from the athlete’s farewell speech, he has had heart problems for at least the last ten years. Moreover, in the summer of 2017, at a training camp, Ole Einar had two attacks of atrial fibrillation in a row, with a short interval. It was a dream, but in both cases they managed to provide him with the necessary help.
According to Bjoerndalen, despite the fact that everything ended well, this was one of the compelling factors that prompted him to leave biathlon.
The athlete does not hide that he will miss the ski track, the competitive atmosphere and the surroundings that accompany the races. He has already received a sufficient number of job offers, and is now considering his options.
“I hope I can make wise choices and manage my opportunities well. We'll see where I end up after a while. For now, I’m just grateful to fate that I was able to compete for so many years without injuries or health problems, and that I was able to take part in so many starts,” concluded Bjoerndalen.
He also stated that over the past 25 years he had not had the chance to celebrate Christmas or Easter due to active competitive activities from autumn to spring.
In addition to the Olympic regalia, Bjoerndalen’s collection includes as many as 20 victories at the World Championships, 14 silver and 11 bronze awards in 1997-2017. He is a six-time World Cup winner, and the number of stages won by the hero of the nation is simply incalculable.
Biathletes all over the planet expressed great regret for Bjoerndalen on Tuesday. They unanimously agreed: a mega-legend is leaving the sport, without which biathlon will become worse.
Thus, Ole Einar’s final race at the highest level was the pursuit at the last stage of the KM in Tyumen on March 24: the elder took 32nd position and was unable to qualify for the mass start that crowned the season. The Norwegian’s last winning place was dated December 10, 2017 and came in the relay race at the second stage of the 2017/2018 KM. In Hochfilzen, Bjoerndalen ran the starting part of the race.
Other news, materials and statistics can be viewed on the page, as well as in the sports department groups on social networks
Who today announced his retirement from big-time sports.
Natalya MARYANCHIK
Bjoerndalen is a constant in world biathlon. Biathlon is unthinkable without skis, rifles, outrageous German fans, beer tents... and without Bjoerndalen, of course, too. The athlete who has been winning all the medals in a row for two and a half decades is now leaving. He leaves defeated, disappointed, sick. At his final press conference, Bjoerndalen said that he had been suffering from arrhythmia for ten years. But thanks to the strictest regime, he managed to make sure that the disease had virtually no effect on the level of his results. Until the last season, when almost everything collapsed. Illnesses in the off-season, bad luck at the frontiers, age, which inevitably had to make itself felt at some point...
Press Conference: Ole Einar Bjoerndalen's retirement (Part 1)
"The summer started really good. April, May, June and partly July was amazing and the training went well" - but subsequently Ole Einar Bjoerndalen faced some health struggles in the leading up to the 2017/2018 season. pic.twitter.com/JhHpLNsIF0
IBU World Cup (@IBU_WC) April 3, 2018
CLOSED AND OPEN AT THE SAME TIME
At the Pyeongchang Games I saw Bjoerndalen only once. Next to the service booth, wearing an orange down jacket and a funny hat, he was discussing something with the Belarusian servicemen. Throughout the Olympics, he helped prepare skis for his wife, who eventually won her gold. The Great and Terrible himself, as he was always called, remained in the shadows, working alongside the unknown ski preparation workers.
In 2007, at the World Ski Championships, where Bjoerndalen and I met, everything was different. The biathlon star was experiencing his “golden” era. In search of new incentives, the Norwegian, for whom victories at the World Cup stages have already become an ordinary event, came to a ski tournament. There he was accompanied by honors comparable to royal ones: the Norwegian press tracked Bjoerndalen’s every move, any of his statements were scattered across all world agencies, and the number of people wanting to interview him was in the hundreds. All this despite the fact that Bjoerndalen did not shine directly on the ski track, while his compatriot and also a biathlete sensationally became the world champion.
What made the press attache of the Norwegian team then meet the Russian news agency and the young Russian journalist in my person is unclear. But be that as it may, they whispered in my ear the exact time and number of the hotel room in which the King himself was supposed to wait for me in the evening. To my ears - because Norwegian colleagues were wandering everywhere in the hotel lobby where the Norwegian team lived. If they had heard this information, several dozen people would have appeared there at the appointed hour. At that time, even some Paul McCartney could not be more popular than Bjoerndalen. Hero, idol and living icon.
So I slowly crept to the elevator. She came out of it and turned around in search of the right room. So she opened the door and saw the King in front of her - in home clothes, reclining in an ordinary hotel chair. Then we talked one-on-one for about 40 minutes. Throughout the conversation, the feeling of miracle did not leave me. It was impossible to explain the fact of our such a long and exclusive conversation in any other logical way. It looked more like my “kidnapping” of a world star than the ordinary process of getting answers to questions.
Press Conference: Ole Einar Bjoerndalen's retirement (Part 2)
"But this is my last season (..) I"m still motivated and wish I could continue for a few more years. I want to step down now after advice from my health team and my family. So that"s what I"m doing now." pic.twitter.com/IXCeEsI02M
IBU World Cup (@IBU_WC) April 3, 2018
In fact, Bjoerndalen never told reporters too much. He managed to be both open and extremely closed. He did not refuse an interview to anyone, but he almost did not go into details, especially with regard to his personal life. Bjoerndalen could tell the press a funny story about the vacuum cleaner that he carries with him everywhere. Tell him that he doesn’t shake hands for fear of catching the virus. But at the same time, no one could extract from him what he really felt and how he lived.
This reservation cracked only in his last sports season, in 2018. Bjoerndalen could not hide his resentment when he was not included in the Olympic team. Like an errand boy, he was waiting for a free place to perform at least at the World Cup stage. He grieved about the missed chance, argued with management, doubted, worried... In general, he did everything that hundreds of other biathletes went through during his long career. Bjoerndalen could no longer remain special and not subject to emotions. He was tired - not only physically, but also mentally. And so he left.
Publication from Darya Domracheva(@dadofun) Apr 3, 2018 at 6:10 am PDT
WHY RELATIONSHIP WITH DOMRACHEVA WAS A SECRET
“I’m proud of this Man. A man who broke boundaries and stereotypes. A career that will inspire many more generations,” Domracheva wrote about her husband on Instagram. The union of two biathlon stars was truly amazing.
Party participants, including the press, knew about their relationship several years before Bjoerndalen made an official statement. Until then, no one allowed themselves to publish sensational news. Out of respect for the legendary biathlete, it was simply impossible to do otherwise with him. Oley Einer was always noble on the ski track himself - and instilled this feeling in everyone who was nearby.
It’s amazing when a person manages to find in life, out of thousands of options, exactly the one profession for which he was born. This is probably the key to success. Bjoerndalen could not and should not have become anything other than a biathlete. Nature gave him unique physical characteristics, the ability to remain cool while shooting, and most importantly, a crazy character. Over the years, there have been several athletes in biathlon whose natural talent could rival Bjoerndalen. But there was no person so devoted to his sport and ready to sacrifice literally everything for the sake of the result. It is unlikely that it is possible to surpass Bjoerndalen here, even in theory.
You can debate for a long time whether it is right to subordinate absolutely your entire life only to the ability to run fast and shoot accurately. Is it right not to leave the ski slopes until the age of 44, realizing that your train is leaving, but still trying in vain to catch up with it? Knowing Bjoerndalen, there is no doubt that he will find himself in the new life that will begin for him from today. He knows how to achieve goals, but at the same time, which is very important, to remain human. May the luck that left him in 2018 return now in retirement. And forever.
0 11 February 2018, 13:00Almost everyone has heard about the famous biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. At 44 years old, the Norwegian is the world's only absolute Olympic champion in biathlon. In his homeland, in the city of Simostrand, a bronze monument was even erected to the athlete. Hundreds of articles have been written about Bjoerndalen’s sporting merits and discussed in dozens of interviews. But not much is known about the athlete’s personal life. And the biathlete’s life has been very stormy for the last few years. Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, being married and having repeatedly stated that he was going to live a long and happy life together with his wife, fell head over heels in love with the Belarusian biathlete Daria Domracheva. We talk about how this love story began, which became fateful for Bjoerndalen, in our material on the site.
Daria Domracheva and Ole Einar Bjoerndalen met at the 2010 Olympics, which took place in Vancouver. That year, the biathlete turned 24 years old, and Bjoerndalen celebrated his 36th birthday. Of course, Daria and Ole Einar knew each other for a long time, because the world of sports is quite small. However, the Norwegian had been married to Italian biathlete Natalie Santer for several years, and it seemed that everything was perfect in the couple’s relationship.
They first started talking about the romance between Domracheva and Bjoerndalen in 2012. The reason for this was his divorce from his wife. They say that the 38-year-old biathlete decided to separate from his wife at that time precisely because of his relationship with 26-year-old Domracheva - in the summer they were together at a training camp in Austria, and it was then that feelings flared up between them.
In October 2012, Bjoerndalen and Santer released a joint statement announcing their divorce:
We must admit that our desire to live a long life together has not come true. A separate life awaits us ahead. We agreed that we would not say anything more than this statement. Please respect and understand our desire not to comment on this topic in future interviews,
- they said.
Despite the divorce, according to the Italian, she remained on good terms with her ex-husband and even sometimes communicates with him:
We are in contact periodically, and I am aware of everything that is happening in his life,
— she admitted in one of the interviews.
Despite, although not very pronounced, but still publicity, great fame and enormous public interest, the couple managed to hide their romance for a very long time. Of course, many of their fellow biathletes knew that Daria and Ole Einar were connected by something more than just a professional relationship. And although they tried to keep the lovers’ secret as long as possible, it was still extremely difficult not to spill the beans. The first to give up was French biathlete Martin Fourcade, who answered the question about Domracheva literally as follows:
I have a good relationship with her. True, not as close as Bjoerndalen’s,
- he said.
After the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Bjoerndalen and Domracheva spent quite a lot of time in each other’s company, although even then their romance had not yet been confirmed. After this, the paparazzi managed to photograph the lovers together several times in an informal setting. But both of them remained silent about their love affair.
When there was nothing left to hide and there was no need, Bjoerndalen in the spring of 2016, at one of the press conferences, not only confirmed his relationship with Domracheva, but, one might say, shocked the public by declaring that he would soon become a father.
In July of the same year, 42-year-old Ole Einar Bjoerndalen and 29-year-old Daria Domracheva got married, which, by the way, each of them announced on their social networks. The wedding, which was attended only by close and dear couples, was very modest and took place abroad (where exactly is not reported).
Such a pleasant day :) (the author’s spelling and punctuation have been preserved. - Ed.), Domracheva commented on the photo on Instagram.
What a beautiful day
— the biathlete wrote in Norwegian, English and Russian on his Facebook.
On October 1, 2016, Ole Einar Bjoerndalen and Daria Domracheva became parents - the couple had a daughter, whom they named Ksenia. After the lovers legalized their relationship, they decided to no longer hide their personal lives - now there are many family photos on their social networks, including photos with their one-year-old daughter (although they, like many, do not show her face).
Now the couple, according to sources, live in Minsk, where Daria built a luxurious house several years ago. The biathlete had already fallen in love with local cuisine and began to master the Russian language. He admits that he plans to teach his daughter three languages: Russian, Norwegian and English.
This year, Ole Einar Bjoerndalen went to the Olympics for the first time in the last 20 years as a coach, and Belarusian athletes became his wards. Alas, the results that he demonstrated at the last Biathlon World Cup did not at all impress the representatives of the Norwegian team, so they did not include him in the team. However, neither the athlete nor his fans should be upset, because a coaching career can become a new stage in his sports career, and quite successful and significant. But he has already won his main victory - he has become a wonderful husband and father, and this award is perhaps more important than all the gold medals.
Photo Gettyimages.ru/Instagram
