After Endre Strømsheim did not get the opportunity in the World Cup in Le Grand-Bornand, France this week, the reactions hailed. news’s expert Ola Lunde believed that Tarjei Bø should give way to the man who at that time had won three out of four races in the IBU Cup. And on Thursday, Strømsheim took their fourth win in five attempts. Now several people news has spoken to in Skiskytter-Norge have had enough of the association’s handling of withdrawals. – There is a bit of a breakup atmosphere in the camp, says Knut Tore Berland. CRITICIZES: Former national team coach, Knut Tore Berland, is disappointed with the biathlon association’s handling of withdrawals. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB He is the head coach of the private team Team Fosen Yard and was the national team coach for the biathlon women until the Olympics in Vancouver. He has now asked the union for an explanation. – There are really no criteria. There are “withdrawal criteria” in the document on the biathlon association’s website, but there are really only a few dates, says Berland and follows up: – The document is out of date. The criteria are lacking, and I believe that when you have performed like Endre Strømsheim, you should get the chance in the World Cup. – Badly worded He is supported by Håvard Bogetveit, who came second overall in the IBU Cup last year, but chose to retire as a 29-year-old before this year’s season. He himself has called himself the world’s best runner outside the national team, and now he is reacting to the association’s selection criteria. – I think they are woolly and not concrete. Badly formulated. And there is perhaps a reason for that, because then they have the greater opportunity to exercise discretion, says Bogetveit. STUSSER: Håvard Bogetveit thinks it is strange that the association is moving away from the withdrawal criteria. Photo: Berit Roald / NTB – It is reasonably straight forward with Strømsheim. It is very easy to weigh his achievements against the results in the World Cup. Then I’m a little surprised that he’s not with Annecy, says the recently retired sports pensioner. The Biathlon Federation writes on its website that the criteria for being selected for World Cup races are international and national results. – I think it is strange that they are moving away from the withdrawal criteria, says Bogetveit. Biathlete Jørgen Brendengen Krogsæter writes on Twitter that he was shocked by the national team management’s arguments for demolishing Strømsheim. – No chance of prioritization from the outside for those of us who want to challenge! It seems that management/coaches in the World Cup are most concerned with strengthening their own profile, writes Krogsæter, who shares an apartment with Strømsheim. Strømsheim himself believes that the national team management must to a greater extent compare performances in the IBU Cup with performances in the World Cup. – It is not done today. When runners like Andrejs Rastorgujevs and Timofei Lapshin are well behind me in Idre, and then both enter the top five in the World Cup afterwards, it is easy to understand that good IBU races are also good in the World Cup, believes Strømsheim. – The eye of the needle is narrow National team manager Per Arne Botnan understands that the situation is boring for Strømsheim and that he really cannot submit a better application than he has done. – It is not surprising that there are discussions with us when it comes to selection for the World Cup. Because we quickly have ten men who could very well be top 20 and top 15 in the World Cup. The eye of the needle is tight, says Botnan and adds: TIGHT: National team manager Per Arne Botnan believes Norway has ten men’s runners who could compete at the top of the World Cup. Photo: Even Bjøringsøy Johnsen / news – But we have seen that athletes have entered elite teams and the World Cup in recent years. With both Filip, Sivert and Johannes Dale. After all, there will be some changes from time to time, so that should be a motivation. A rule change this season gives Norway the opportunity to have as many as six runners at the start of the individual distances in the WC 2023. The requirement is that all the athletes must be in the top 15 in the World Cup summary. Nevertheless, Botnan dismisses that there is an argument for keeping the World Cup team intact until the championship. – We cannot let that be the governing factor for withdrawals. Then it becomes even more difficult and it is not a withdrawal criterion to use the top 15 as a reason. We will not do that, assures the national team manager. But it is not just the wreck of Strømsheim that has caused debate in the biathlon community. – The worst is what happens at the level below, where they make bigger mistakes, says Berland. – Unpleasant for Biathlon Norway Before the selection for the IBU Cup in Ridnaun, the biathlon association clarified that the Norwegian Cup races at Lygna would be decisive for the selection. Therefore, many expected that Eline Grue would get the chance after a number of podium places, but when the draw came, Grue’s name was not included. news knows that the union has received several written inquiries with questions about the withdrawal criteria in the last few days after the wrecks of Strømsheim and Grue. REACTED: Several have contacted the association after Eline Grue (photo) and Endre Strømsheim were wrecked at the IBU Cup and World Cup this week. Photo: Carina Johansen / NTB – I think it is unpleasant for Biathlon Norway to experience that the association does not use the text in the extract they themselves sent out. Often in the environment we miss some clearer guidelines and clearer selection criteria that are a bit more mathematical, says Jon Kristian Svaland, who is Eline Grue’s trainer. Now Gjermund Hol, vice-president of the Biathlon Union, opens up to look at the withdrawal criteria. He must approve all withdrawals, and was the recipient of the inquiries from Berland and Svaland. – The withdrawal criteria today are somewhat general, both international and national results must count. What they put their finger on is how concrete the withdrawal criteria are. We may need to make them more concrete. As they stand, it is difficult to be completely specific about which results stand, admits Hol.
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Dawning biathlon rebellion – the association asks for an explanation – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
