As June turned over to July, the German men and women convened in Livigno and Obertilliach for their first training camp of the new season, weeks after some of their rivals started their camp seasons.

Big Team

The first week in Livigno’s thin air set the stage for week two in moderate altitude Obertilliach. After enjoying gloriously clear, sunny weather in Livigno, Obertilliach delivered rain and fog, scrambling the week’s schedule. On a bright 7C July morning, the 14 men, 5 women, 10 coaches and support staff headed out at 8:45 for training session 1. The big group consisted of most of the men’s and women’s World Cup teams plus the Men’s IBU Cup squad. According to Men’s Head Coach Uros Velepec, “Bringing in the B team was my idea; it gives them a look at what they are shooting for (World Cup) and adds some sparring partners at this camp.”

Although training simultaneously, the men and women’s days were like night and day. Both did the standard warm-up loops, rollerskiing in groups, chatting, enjoying the glorious weather before zeroing.

First Intensity

After zeroing, an air of seriousness blanketed men’s group. 10 days into their first camp, the season’s first intensity work topped the agenda. Velepec explained, “Everyone had 6 plus weeks of home training, doing much of the basic work, so it is time to see how they react to speed. We will do more intensity on Thursday, closing the camp with a time-trial on Saturday.” Putting on race bibs for identification, seven IBU Cup/World Cup pairs rolled out for two six-minute loops, shooting prone/standing before a lactate test, a short recovery, and repeat. This was not just an all-out effort on the tracks or range. Velepec, filming virtually each athlete up close, watched for trigger control, barrel movement and execution, then threw in a wild card for each bout. Promoting aggressiveness, he challenged his charges to leave their comfort zone and take risk, shooting fast. Justus Strelow, the best shot in the World Cup confirmed, “Uros is really pushing shooting fast.” Velepec added, “We need to be aggressive, attacking not holding back and being defensive. That is how you win races, our goal.”

“That is how you learn”

After seven rounds, the pace dropped for the last part of the 2 hour, 30 minute session: easier range loops and slow-firing on each loop. The coach’s verdict, “Some were really good, others failed but that is how you learn. One of the guys admitted that he felt really good and pushed harder than I expected; not a problem. That is the attitude you want, and he still did not go way over the limit on lactate.”

Slow Range Loops and Classic Rollerskiing

A few lanes removed from the men, the five World Cup women finished zeroing, reloaded and lined up for single-shot drills; firing once, stepping off the mat, immediately repeating (P,P,S,S) until the four magazines were empty, like the men, emphasizing speed, but also accuracy. Four rounds of drills, with Franziska Preuss and Janina Hettich-Walz leading the way, set the stage for a vastly different session from the men. The fivesome skied the range loop slowly, fired five careful shots, repeating until emptying all five magazines, followed by 20 minutes of classic rollerskiing while the coaches refilled everyone’s magazines. Women’s Coach Sverre Roeiseland, closely monitoring his charges like Velepec, explained, “Slow fire and accuracy, yes; at the same time, on some loops, they shoot five shots from the magazine and then reload two rounds by hand. We are still working on basics.” Four rounds of this filled the women's morning workload of almost two and a half hours.

As the athletes headed back to the hotel for lunch, the coaches put away the shooting mats, swept away spent cartridges and compared notes after a productive morning.

“It was not my best day”

Massages for tired muscles followed lunch for many. Selina Grotian called her massage and the accompanying fragrant oil, “perfect and I smell really good!” The young German reflected on her day. “It was not my best. I had trouble from the start, could not get comfortable and could not focus. That happens sometimes in training. The good side is that it never happens in a race; I am really good at staying in the zone on race days!”

After a few hours of rest, training session two closed off the day. Again, the men and women diverged; running for the women and a long mountain bike tour for the men.

Divergent paths but the same goal of winter success: biathletes are made in the summer!

Photos: IBU/Jerry Kokesh