Last March, Sturla Holm Laegreid finally held the big Crystal Globe he chased the last five seasons, a watershed moment in his career. Laegreid remains unchanged by this huge achievement. “I am good at sticking to my roots. Success does not dictate who I am or who I want to become. I am lucky to have figured out myself before the success and fame. That makes it easier to be who I am.”

“Thanks to 2018 Sturla”

While sitting out 2018 with illness, the Norwegian dreamed of a huge career. “You always have the dream and hope you can become the very best. My dream was to become a professional biathlete and have the lifestyle I have today; to continue and improve. My motivation is not to have this big list of goals but to see how good I can become. I think it was the same in 2018. I knew it was temporary setback. I decided I would use the time well to improve my shooting and that got me where I am now. I can thank the 2018 Sturla for that!”

“Last chance to battle Johannes”

In retrospect, winning the World Cup Total Score title was a challenging because of one person, Johannes Thingnes Boe. “I felt it was sad that he would quit. Losing the Boe brothers is like the end of an era. I knew it was my last chance to be with them and my last chance to really battle Johannes.”

“Something changed in my mind when JT announced his retirement, I thought, ‘I really want to deliver my best now, to test my skills against who I feel is the greatest biathlete of all time.’ Happily, I managed to stick with it and give him the best fight…It was important to give my all-time best effort. Even though his performance was not as high as two years ago, he still was at a very high level; that was a benchmark. I was happy to compete and best him in some of his prime years.”

“Siegfried says I could shoot with a salami”

Besides battling JT at his best, Laegreid admitted his annual rifle stock upgrade, 925 shooting, and a dose of confidence fuelled his best season. “It was the calmness and confidence on the range. I am a stock-maniac, changing the stock all the time. It is a tool I trust will give me the results. Last year’s was great but it was not the stock that hit the target, it was me. Siegfried (Mazet) says I could shoot with a salami if I wanted. Some of my passion comes from these improvements that are part of the journey; exploring how good and fast you can shoot. I am eager to experiment and take the next step. When young guys like Martin Uldal are pushing, then I need to look at what he is doing.”

"I want to be that guy”

Those “young guys” motivate Laegreid who starts his Yellow Bib defence in just over a month. “I want to be the guy everyone wants to beat. It is more fun like that. It means you have done something good and people look up to you. If you are not prepared to carry that, then you are not prepared to keep it.”

Tommy, Eric, and Martin

Laegreid feels a select few will likely be his closest rivals. “Tommy Giacomel is definitely a guy to watch; he is young, improving, and has huge capacity on skis. He was good last year and will continue to improve. Same with Eric (Perrot); young, strong guy who has basically everything he needs. He will be hard to compete with, but I enjoy these big battles. There will also be guys that step up this year, like Martin Uldal. He has the ski speed and the interest in shooting. I think he is a guy for the future.”

A wiser, confident Laegreid heads into the Olympic season. “I’ve learned to not stress so much. I have a tendency when something goes wrong shooting or skiing, I doubt everything. I have to be more confident and trusting in my process. The last couple of years, especially taught me that if I just stick with it and believe in myself, I can be good.”

“Stay alert and let the others catch you”

Beneath this confidence lies the personality of a gambler who almost never loses. “I want to be calm, calculated, to have the guts to give it all. But I do not want to lose my head. I want to be in control. It is good to have a little bit of fear, because then you know what the stakes are and you play your cards well. You have to stay alert and let the others catch you.”

Photos: IBU/ Manzoni, Nordnes, Nordic Focus