February 14, 2020 was the best day of Lucie Charvátová’s World Cup career, winning an IBU World Championships Sprint Bronze medal in Antholz. Jump ahead 5+ years: she hit the podium in the season-opening Women’s Relay and Sunday earned a trip to the Flower Ceremony with 6th in the Women’s Pursuit, the third best individual result of her career.

It’s been a long road back to the top ranks for the 32-year-old ex-cross-country skier, who in her first World Cup season topped the podium with Czechia’s winning Women’s Relay team at the Presque Isle World Cup. With 229 World Cup starts on her resume, she joked, “I can’t believe I had such a good race…usually once every five years!”

A few hours after her big Sunday, Charvátová answered our five burning questions as well as revealing her plans for the Christmas holidays at home in Vrchlabí and in Austria.

Biathlonworld: As a veteran, were you pretty calm or a bit nervous today knowing you might have a chance for a top finish in the pursuit?

Lucie Charvátová: The years in biathlon fly by so fast that I don’t really feel like a veteran yet! I started to do biathlon when I was 20, so that’s my little excuse 😊 After the relay last week, I finally found some inner peace. We won Bronze with the girls, and it felt so good to finally give them something back after so many attempts and falls. In the past I would often lose confidence and get nervous for the next races, but today it felt different. I sensed the opportunity and stayed surprisingly calm.

BW: What did it feel like coming out of the last standing fighting for a spot in the Flower Ceremony?

LC: Honestly, I didn’t believe I could make it. I kept looking over my shoulder, controlling my current 7th position. I had lost a few seconds to the split and I was exhausted. But then I caught a second wind, switched my mind into “never give up,” turned on the propeller and went all-in for the last uphill to the turning point. I’ve often managed strong final sprints, so deep down I hoped I could do it again. My only thought at the finish line was: “Just don’t trip and fall.”

BW: Did you make any changes on the shooting range after the individual that helped you shoot so well in the sprint and pursuit? Or did all the summer work finally kick in?

LC: My shooting statistics were actually much better all summer, so I hoped it would finally prove in winter. Standing shooting has always been my weak point, so I changed a lot in my position during summer training — and it’s clearly paying off. I just had bad luck with the wind in the individual, so I trusted the work we did and kept believing in it.

BW: What do days like the pursuit and the relay podium do for your motivation in an Olympic year?

LC: It’s still the beginning of the season, so toward the Olympics it might mean nothing, but days like these definitely make me feel calmer and more confident. At the same time, I’m pretty superstitious and a bit pessimistic, so I tend to see things in a more cautious, distrustful way. “Easy come, easy go” describes me quite well. So, I’m motivated, there is no better place than Antholz for me, but on the other hand I’m waiting for the universe to test me again. It’s still long journey to February.

BW: It has been a long time since your medal at Antholz; were you channeling some of those positive vibes this week?

LC: It’s kind of sad that I seem to have success once every five years — but better that than never! Those feelings stay with you forever, and it’s always nice to remember them. I love biathlon with all its ups and downs. ((And as you said, I am a veteran now :-D)) so I want to enjoy these moments even more, because you never know if it might be the last time.

Biathlonworld Bonus: Christmas is a few weeks away; how will you spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day?

LC: It’ll be pretty rushed. My washing machine will probably still be running after all the time away. I’ll have a couple of hours to wrap gifts, then a quick visit with friends and dinner with my family. On the morning of the 25th, I’ll head to Seefeld, like every year, for training and some proper snow to enjoy a bit more Christmas atmosphere.

With the confidence gained this past week, her “never give up” attitude, and continued solid shooting, don’t be surprised to see Lucie in a few more Flower Ceremonies and maybe even one in that stadium atop the Antholz Valley next February.

Photos: IBU/ Petr Slavik