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THE WHOLE HEIGHT: Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen kept a secret during his stay at the Italian Lavazé, but then he met someone at the sessions. Photo: Ingvil Ahlsand
Biathletes have missed two altitude ascents due to the corona pandemic. Now the national teams choose to defy the travel recommendations and go to “red” Italy.
From October 5 to 23, the Norwegian men’s and women’s national teams will attend a high-profile match in Lavazé, Italy.
– We have had an exhaustive review with the health team and we are ready to carry out the height collection. If the risk of infection changes, we must do a new assessment, says the manager of the national team, Per-Arne Botnan, about the discussions before traveling to an Italy that is in the red on the map of the crown.
The biathlon association is prepared for criticism of travel plans.
– There will always be someone who thinks something about the choice and does not understand how important this height is for biathletes. This is your job. The work they have done now has a lot to say about their achievements in both the upcoming world championships and the Olympics. That said, we don’t travel at any cost, Botnan says.
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While the competitors in Central Europe have had the opportunity to complete their altitude stays, the Norwegian athletes are behind. Two rooms with height training have already gone to the sink.
– Therefore, we prioritize completing this collection. We gained good experiences with matches at that height last year (1800 meters) before a World Cup that goes up. The same is true this season.
– Even if the return implies a quarantine upon return?
– If you perform a crown test at Gardermoen upon return and a new one five days later, and both are negative, you can start normal outdoor training again.
Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen has just finished his quarantine after a 14-day stay at the same location. He is ready for another trip and defends the plan.
– It’s a bit ironic that you didn’t leave when Italy was yellow, but having said that, I felt safer in the middle of a mountain pass than walking around Oslo. It was almost like I felt a little lonely there. I don’t think there are any permanent residents in Lavazé, says Sjåstad Christiansen.
He is brilliantly satisfied with his private stay in altitude, where he practically lived “in the middle of the skating rink” at 1800 meters of altitude.
In October, the biathletes rented a small hotel that they have to themselves. The hotel is closed during the season. Also, you have your own chef and lots of food. What is missing is delivered “at the door.”
The plan is to fly to Munich and then drive in rental cars directly to Lavazé.
