Kasper Kalkenberg is one of the rising stars on the Norwegian biathlon team. In recent years, he has won numerous medals at Youth and Junior World Championships. The 2025–2026 season brought major changes for him. How did he cope with them?

“The 2025–2026 season was full of new opportunities for me. I learned a lot about myself and my body. I’m very grateful for that,” Kalkenberg explains to Biathlonworld, describing the past few months. After several successful years as a junior, the 21-year-old had qualified for the Norwegian IBU Cup team. That brought with it new challenges.

“At first, I had to get used to competing in several races every week during the winter. As a junior, I had significantly fewer competitions than I do as a senior. But I love racing, so I tried to adapt to the new situation as best I could.” To better manage the unfamiliar physical strain, he focused on recovery between competitions and training sessions, especially during travel between the various competition venues. “Overall, I’m satisfied with last season’s results.” To get there, Kalkenberg took an unusual path.

Training Without the Team

In the spring of 2025, Kalkenberg decided to leave the Norwegian national team and organise his own training. “I’m always curious to try something new. I wanted to do high-altitude training to see how my body reacts to those conditions,” he explains. Since that wasn’t part of his training program with the national team, he decided to organise his own training. His sister, Emilie Kalkenberg, joined him.

A Special Bond Between the Kalkenberg Siblings

“My sister and I are a great team. We talk a lot and spend a lot of time together. Of course, we get on each other’s nerves sometimes, but I think that’s normal.” Training on their own required a lot of organisation for the siblings - writing training plans, booking hotel rooms, and arranging for equipment transport. The biggest challenge was the cost. “We tried to cover the additional costs through sponsors. Fortunately, we were able to do that.”

Part of his athletic philosophy is to constantly improve, even if that draws criticism. His teammates, however, didn’t put any obstacles in his way. This summer, he’s training with the Norwegian B team. “It feels like they’re happy to have me back.”

Still a lot of work to do before the World Cup

Kalkenberg is focusing on securing a spot on the IBU Cup team for the 2026–2027 season. “I want to compete for a spot on the podium. Of course, the World Cup is in the back of my mind, but there’s still a lot of work to be done to get there. My skiing performance hasn’t always been at the top level.” He doesn’t see the competition in Norway as a disadvantage. “Of course, I’d love to be in a position to move directly from the Junior Cup to the World Cup, as is possible in other countries. But I’m used to the competition. I know I always have to give my best performance. That helps me stay focused.” The 21-year-old wants to become a better biathlete - every day.

Photo: IBU I archive