They grew up in the same place, went to the same schools and learned to race on the same snowy tracks. For almost two decades, Ondřej Moravec and Michal Šlesingr were teammates, rivals, friends – and two of the defining figures of Czech biathlon.

Now, they are standing on the same side of the track again. Only this time, they are not carrying rifles. They are carrying responsibility for the next generation.

Their story began in Letohrad, a small Czech town and a breeding ground for young biathlon talent, where both started out as young teenagers in the second half of the 1990s. Šlesingr made his World Cup debut in 2002, Moravec a year later. Each spent 18 years among the elite, collecting Olympic and World Championship medals and World Cup victories. Together, they also won World Championship gold in the mixed relay in Kontiolahti in 2015.

But their relationship was never simply about being teammates.

"We spent a lot of time together. When we were young, we were just friends doing sport for fun, but gradually it also developed into a certain rivalry. We were colleagues, but at certain points in our careers we were both achieving big things, so in a way, there was rivalry there, too," Moravec recalls.

Their racing careers ended on home soil, just a year apart, during the pandemic. After that, their paths briefly diverged: Moravec moved into coaching in 2024, while Šlesingr worked as a technical coordinator within Czech biathlon before joining the men's A team as a coach this season.

A partnership built on trust

More than two decades after they first started out, Moravec and Šlesingr have found themselves on the same coaching staff instead of lining up at the start. And while their roles may be new, the familiarity between them is not.

For Šlesingr, one of the biggest surprises has been seeing how quickly Moravec has grown into coaching.

"Just as he used to deal with things in detail and without compromise, putting 100 percent into biathlon, he threw himself into coaching with the same drive. You can see how much know-how he has absorbed and processed over the last few years."

Moravec, now entering his third season as a coach, says having someone he has known for most of his life by his side has made the transition feel natural.

"I knew very well who I was getting into this with. We have spent so much time together. And although Michal had no experience in this particular role, he is gradually finding his way and it is working very well."

Learning from the athletes they once were

Working with the next generation also brings them face to face with their younger selves. They recognise the impatience, the mistakes – and the moments when good advice simply goes unheard.

"You remember what it was like when you were young and inexperienced, sometimes reckless, and your coaches were giving you advice. We didn't listen either – and that still happens," Moravec says.

That experience has changed the way he approaches coaching. "When I came in in 2024, I thought I would change them. But I won't. You have to change yourself to some extent. It's not about changing them, but about finding the right path and the right balance."

That balance is also reflected in the way the two coaches see their athletes. They may be different personalities, but their years in biathlon – and the many conversations that followed – have given them a remarkably similar perspective.

"We're each a little different as personalities, but I think our view of athletes is quite similar. If we differ, it will really only be in the details. We've discussed the athletes a lot, too, and we understand each other's perspectives," adds Šlesingr.

Now, those years of shared experience have become part of what they bring to the job.

The two young boys who first set out from Letohrad are now helping shape the future of Czech biathlon from a different side of the track.

But the partnership continues – this time, for those coming after them.

Photos: Czech Biathlon & IBU Photopool