Norway’s biathletes are entering a golden age. It has rained gold medals in several Olympics in a row, the WC golds come almost like pearls on a string and Johannes Thingnes Bø is the athlete who was most liked in all of Norway in 2023, according to Sponsor Insight. Nevertheless, union members are bleeding. – Biathlon is in a way so strange and so special that there are only a few, few, few who bother with it, says Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen, who is a fixture on the national biathlon team, to news. Because from 2017 to 2023, the number of members in the association has decreased from 9,370 active in 2017 to 5,148 active in 2023. This corresponds to a decrease of a full 45 percent over six years, according to the Key Figures Report from the Norwegian Sports Confederation (NIF). – This is not how we want it to be, says Morten Djupvik, secretary general of the Norwegian Ski Association, to news. Look at the development in the membership numbers of the Norwegian Biathlon Union: – The demanding Biathlon Union is simply at a loss as to why the numbers are the way they are. The managers and athletes on the national team highlight two possible reasons for the alarming figures: Cost and resources for follow-up. – It is demanding in terms of time and it is also an expensive sport to keep up with, says Tarjei Bø to news. – I think perhaps slightly tighter economic times have made it difficult, we have to take that seriously. Norwegian sports culture is very important, I feel. We should certainly preserve it and do what we can to make it easy for young people and children to take part in activities, says Sturla Holm Lægreid. GOLD WHOLESALER: Sturla Holm Lægreid (left) and Tarjei Bø stood at the top of the podium during the Olympic relay in Beijing in 2022. Photo: Torstein Bøe / NTB Struggling among the young – golf has reversed the trend To make matters worse, biathlon is also struggling with reaching the young. In the 13 to 19 age group, biathlon has lost one third of its members. – Here it is about reaching out to the youth and children in a different way than what we have managed so far, says Djupvik. At the opposite end of the scale is golf. Over the past six years, the Norwegian Golf Association has registered an increase of 35.5 per cent. For athletes in their teens, it has more than doubled. The increase over the past six years is equivalent to 40 new members per day, according to the golf association. They point out that the threshold for getting out on the golf course has been lowered. – It has definitely become much more accessible to play golf than it was a few years ago. The clubs should have that honor. They have made a huge effort to ensure that anyone who wants to try golf can do so in a very popular way. This is what Tom Rosenvinge, who is head of communications at the Norwegian Golf Association, tells news. – It’s not really cool to wear yourself out Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen has a foot in both camps. He is on the national biathlon team, but lately he is among those who have been bitten by the golf bug. He has taken the extra step and got specially adapted golf clubs and been on the course to hit the best shots. – It is the best mental training you can get. You don’t think about anything else but the cursed turn when you stand there, says Christiansen. FOCUS: Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen compares the golf focus with the focus you must have on the stand in biathlon. Photo: Tore Linvollen / news IN SIGHT: In biathlon it’s all about the draw – in golf it’s all about the result. It is important to find the right trigger in both sports. Photo: Tore Linvollen / news GROV BOM: You don’t always hit, either on the golf course or during the shooting … Photo: Tore Linvollen / news SKEPTIC: … And when everything is not 100 percent right, the emotions also come out. Even for a super golf exerciser. Photo: Tore Linvollen / news He believes that the reason for the decline in biathlon – and for that matter the rise in golf – is due to several factors. Among other things, fewer winter days and that Norway as a nation has gained a greater standing also among summer sports such as athletics, tennis and golf. – It’s not very cool to wear yourself out on the very steepest hill up to Frognerseteren. The majority of today’s youth would probably rather stand here and hit a few “slices” then. At least I think so, says Christiansen. – I think that sports are going through a bit of a trough. Even though they have not reached a conclusion on how to reverse the trend, the Norwegian Biathlon Union has initiated measures. One of them is to recruit children and young people from an early age. – Among other things, we have started a school project to get into schools and have already had some pilots on it in various places in the country. We hope it will produce positive results. At least for the time being it looks very good, but it hasn’t started to show again on the numbers. GENERAL SECRETARY: Morten Djupvik in place in confederation clothing during the season opening at Sjusjøen in 2023. Photo: Geir Olsen / NTB And even if the image of winter sports can be painted black in the media, the biggest biathlon star believes that both young and old can eventually regain an interest in running with biathlon. – I think sports go through ups and downs a bit, both up and down. We can hope that we are now on a wave forward towards the WC in 2029, and that we will see the effect of that in ten years’ time, says Thingnes Bø. You can watch the season opener at Sjusjøen on NRK1 from 09.30 on Saturday. See the program for the whole winter below! Published 13.11.2024, at 11.49
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Biathlon in crisis – has lost over 45 percent of its members over six years – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule
