After the winter season ends, the off-season begins. Athletes travel, study, and most of all, spend their time free from all of the limitations a sports career sets on them. But then comes summer, and the training for the next season starts again. What is the hardest part of returning to the training schedule? Check out what the biathletes had to say!

Tereza Vobornikova: Back to the routine

For Tereza Voborníková, fresh off her victory at the City Biathlon Dresden, the post-off-season challenge lies in readjusting to the structured demands of summer training.

"The hardest thing after the off-season is getting back into the summer routine. After the season and spring break, you get used to a very different lifestyle, with more freedom and fewer fixed schedules. Then suddenly it's time to return to regular training, camps, recovery sessions, and planning your whole day around sport again. It always takes a little time to adjust, but once the routine is back, everything starts to feel natural again."

Maya Cloetens: Getting back in shape

For Belgium’s Maya Cloetens, who celebrated her first World Cup Flower podium last season, the off-season’s biggest challenge is embracing the temporary loss of fitness - in the shape of grandma as she puts it - and the sudden return to a packed schedule.

"I would say the hardest thing is to have the shape of a grandma and then to stay cool with it. You really have to trust the process of training that your shape will come back. And also not having time anymore because I have to say I enjoyed being able to do other things than sports for a few weeks. When you get back to real training, the days just fly by!"

Paul Medhi Benhayoun: Gear change

For Paul Mehdi Benhayoun, Morocco’s lone biathlete, the post-spring break challenges include swapping gear, missing family, and rediscovering his balance on roller skis.

"For me, the trickiest things after the spring break are swapping out the winter gear for summer stuff in the wardrobe and garage as well as knowing I won't get to see my family again anytime soon. Also, the sore backside that comes with getting back on the bike and those first few minutes on roller skis where my balance looks like a baby deer taking its first steps."

Jakub Borgula: Early mornings

While hard training is a passion, the early mornings at training camps and the sudden return of physical strain always catch Slovakia's Jakub Borgula, who transitioned from the IBU Cup to the World Cup team last season, slightly off guard after the off-season.

"I love hard training, but for me, the hardest part is getting up early at training camps to go do the hard sessions. When I am at home, I like to sleep in before long training. Also, I forget how it feels to feel the pain in my body and shortness of breath, so that is always a surprise after the off-season."

Deedra Irwin: Long days

For Deedra Irwin, who spends the entire winter on the road with the US team without returning home, the transition back to training is all about readjusting to the athlete’s rhythm.

"For me, it's getting back into the long days and big hours. After a more relaxed routine during the break, maybe travelling, seeing family or sleeping in. I have a hard time getting back into the schedule of being an athlete with planning workouts, meals, sleep and recovery. It just takes my mind and my body a little while to get back into it. But once I do it, all feels familiar and normal again. As they say, ear, sleep, train, repeat! I wouldn't have it any other way."

Lidija Barauskiene: Being away from home

Leaving family at home is the hardest part of returning to the summer training routine for Lithuania’s Lidija Barauskiene, who made her Olympic debut in the Sprint at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

"The hardest part for me is to be far away from my family and home, because as professional athletes we don't have a lot of time with our loved ones, and it's never enough. Especially after spending most of the time together during the off-season, it is hard to leave home again."

Photos: IBU, Nordicfocus, Jouannaud