Biathlonum

28. 10. 2012

Behind the track: Laure Soulie ”I am proud to represent Andorra”

The big heart from the small country…

Just between Spain and France in the mountains of Pyrenees. In Pas de la Casa. Proudly wearing letters AND in every race. Got it? I think so! She left one of the biggest biathlon nation to run the new in her country. What a courage!

It´s nice to to know you Laure. And I am sure it´s nice to know you by all the fans and readers of this exclusive interview.

It will be the 4-th season you don´t race for France anymore. Why did you choose representing your birth country Andorra?

"I was born in Andorra, I had been going to school there, but my mother was French, so as a young girl I had two nationalities. When I was 15 years old I chose to go to French Alps for a sport studies. Then I had been competing 5 years for the French team. One day, my birth country Andorra proposed to me to change my federation. Until that day biathlon has never existed in Andorra. I wasn't ready yet, but one year after I started to think about it and I made a decision. I wanted to represent my little country in the new sport. And I´m proud of it."

But you still train with the French team, don´t you?

"First 3 years I have been training alone, in spring and in summer in Andorra and the rest of the year I had an apartment in the Alps. During the winter the French team accepted me in the team. It was a big chance and I´m lucky to benefit their huge structure and people qualified. Last summer was the first year that I did all the training camps with the girl´s A team. It was very good opportunity."

Year 2006 - Presque Isle. You won bronze medal in relay. Do you remember what were you thinking immediately after the results?

"It was my first Junior World Championships and it was unbelievable because it was in other continent and I ran the relay with 2 best friends that are still my best friends until now. This day will stay in my mind as a beautiful friendship experience."

How did you celebrate this success?

"It was simply celebration, on the podium and at the first press conference. We were very exciting and touched. I have good memories about this American week."

If you could form your own dream relay team, whou would you choose?

"I would choose my best friends Marie-Laure Brunet, and Marine Bolliet, because for me it is important to have a good cohesion and atmosphere in the relay team. And I will choose also Raphael Poiree because it was my idol when I was young and I like his personality as a coach until today."

Training with her best friends Marie-Laure Brunet and Marine Bolliet

Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi. What are your emotions? Will you be there?

"I hope so. It’s my first dream and goal but I have to think about next season too."

What must have a stadium for biathlon racing to become your favorite?

"I like most of the stadiums I have raced in, it’s difficult to choose one of them! But I´ll tell Antholz for the beauty of the sight and lots of people, Oberhof for the crazy atmosphere. From IBU Cup stadiums I like Martell very much, but it’s really not a easy to race there because of lot of wind, But I like that place - the track and the altitude there."

Enjoying high peaks of Nepal

Do you like summer biathlon on roller skis?

"I like it because it’s a main way for training, but in summer I prefer to running in the mountains. For me it is better than to turn over and over on the road."

Can you imagine summer biathlon as a part of summer olympic games? You

would be one of the athletes who participated in winter and summer Olympic Games.

"Maybe one day it will be true, we don´t know, remember the climate changes etc. But for me I won't like this new sport, because what I like is the skiing sensations. I train only for this reason, it’s incredible to be on the snow track."

I guess you like to travel all around the world. What is your favorite place you have been to and what is your dream place?

"In winter we have opportunity to travel during 4 months, but we see only few places and we don´t have time for visiting other places. It’s different when you travel by yourself. Last spring I spent 1 month in Nepal for holiday and it was the most beautiful travel in my life. Very relaxing and beautiful. I have climbed the peak and I feel the freedom there."

Laure loves running in the mountains

Do you want once your kids to become biathletes?

"No. All I want to show them is the nature and sports, but what is most important I want them to find their own passion and to work hard to reach it. It couldn´t be especially in any competition."

Once when you retire, can you imagine you would travel to all the places and stadiums all over the world again as an ordinary spectator and feel the atmosphere from the other side?

"Of course! I will watch and follow biathlon for sure, and if there still will be some friends of mine competing, I will choose one place in the winter and I will go on the other side of the track."

13. 10. 2012

Behind the track: Krystyna Guzik "My goal is to win the Olympic Games in Sochi"

The number one...

She really is! In the Polish biathlon team. Last season she reached 17-th place in the World Cup and she wants to be better. To get higher, to achieve big results.

It was very nice talk. Thank you Krystyna Guzik. You can meet her too in this exclusive interview.

Last season was the best in your career. What are your expectations for the new one? To be the number one in your team again?

“Yes, last season was the best in my career. I had a lot of good competitions and also a lot of possibilities to be on the podium. I know that I can be really good. I work hard for that goal. Every year I try to change something to become better in competitions. I think this year could be better too. I had a lot of good work this summer. But who knows? Let´s see in winter."

Were your training camps so good this summer? Do you feel strong for the races?

“This summer I had many training camps with many hard trainings. But In May I broke my foot during one basketball game, I had to go on surgery so of course I miss some of them. While rehabilitation my training was only riding my bike because I couldn´t do anything else. But time passed really fast. Thanks to my really good physiotherapist that worked with me every day so I was back in hard trainings really fast. Anyway I feel that I am stronger and ready for new season.”

You know how it feels to win gold medal, you have one from junior championship. But if you could choose medal from the big senior event, what would you like to win most? World Cup, World Championship or Olympic Games?
“I would like to win Olympic Games. This is my biggest dream. But of course it would be great if I could win any race of World Cup or World Championships. But to make it happen there is really a long and hard way to go. But I like this way.”

So you looking forward to Olympic Games in Sochi and you have big ambitions…
“Yes, I am looking forward to Sochi. I´m focusing on that and I think this will be my last Olympic Games. But I would like to go also to Korea 2018, but who knows because I will be just too old. Anyway Olympics in Sochi are now in my mind. My ambitions are always big and my goal is the gold medal. But I will be also happy for silver or bronze. Olympic Games are the most important competition for me. When I was 15 years old I have always been dreaming to go to Olympic Games. My dream came true 5 years later in Torino 2006. And my 5-th place there was great result for me. There I got new dream and it is with me until now.”

She feels every support from fans

Maybe you will achieve the medal in relay. Anyway, if you could form your own relay dream team, who would you choose?

“I was always dreaming about having strong relay team. It´s easy to choose perfect strong team with the best athletes. But I am happy with my national relay team. Every year we make some step to be better. We have the chance to be really good."

What about biathlon fans in Poland? Do you think biathlon is popular in your country?

“It is popular but not so much as in Germany. But every year we get more biathlon fans. In Jakuszyce we will have new biathlon stadium in the future. I think it will be really big and great and we will get also big events there. But right now we need to have some good results to make biathlon more popular in Poland."

Maybe achieving the medal?

“I think yes. This is the first point to make biathlon more popular in Poland. I think that women team is on a good way to make it real. But this have to be only in Winter Games, World Championships or World Cup. I mean big event.”

Mountains are Krystyna´s big love

It´s a shame that there is no big biathlon event in Poland. But if the there was World Cup or World Championship, biathlon would be more popular too.
"Yes. If we have some big event in Poland like World Championships then I think biathlon will be more popular. But for now we had only summer World Championships which were in 2010. Popularity is one the reason that we haven’t enough good biathlon stadiums In Poland. But after World Championships in Duszniki our stadium looks better every year. This is good for us because we can also have really good training camp there."

Is there any World Cup place or stadium – the special for you – that you feel more power, more emotions, more support from fans?

“Every biathlon stadium has something special and brings different emotions. And no matter what stadium, supporting from fans is always with me. But if I had to say which stadiums is the special for me, then I can say that Turin- San Sicario and Vancouver- Whistler. These are the stadiums which gave me a lot of emotions and which were the special for me."

Krystyna works hard to achieve her goals

Tell us something about your favorites. What do you like to do most when you have free time?

“Hmm, there are a lot of things. I am kind of person that always must do something. Most of the free time I study medicine and read some books. Also cooking. Maybe I don´t cook often but I really like to do it. I also have 2 big dogs which I love to play with. When I am at home then I always spend a lot of time with them."

Is there any other sport that you like?

“Lots of other sports. Biathlon is my passion my life and my work, but I like to do some other sports too. I haven’t much time for other kind of sports because of biathlon but the rest of the time I like to play tennis, golf, I like skiing, swimming , fitness etc. And I also like all motorsports too. I love speed, fast drive and to make some crazy things. I also love mountains, just walking and trying to reach the top..."

What about football? Have you been watching EURO 2012 that was in your home country?

“Yes I watched them all. But only on TV because I was on training camp. I couldn’t be in Poland and watch it live. I was with our team. They were not the best but the Championship won my favorite team (Spain)"

The whole season is about mountains. Do you like relaxing by the sea?

"I prefer mountains. But sometimes it is good to relax by the sea. For me it is not so easy to relax there. I always search things that I can do there. Of course I love relaxing too but most of the time I spend in water - swimming and doing all kinds of water sports."

Sport is sometimes about betting. What about betting in your team? Are you doing some bets before races? Maybe about changing hair colors etc...

"Usually we never make some official bets in our team. But sometimes there are some funny bets and of course about changing hair colors too. But more often about something funny to do. But I can’t tell you about it :) "

30. 9. 2012

Behind the track: Ekaterina Yurlova “My life is my inspiration”

She is the richest biathlete…

Really! Forget the money, mind the creativity! Inspirations, ideas, experiences… Some might say she is the most creative from all biathletes. Or do you know any other biathlete with published book of poems?

Meet very nice member of the Russian biathlon team in our talk. Katja Yurlova. Exclusively for Biathlonum.

Let´s start talking about the new season. What are your expectations?

"I think my expectations like every athlete is to show good results in the whole season and to have good shape and luck at the World Championship in Nove Mesto na Morave."

And your main goal?

"The medal at the World Championship. Because it is a very big step and important thing before the Olympic Games."

Are you satisfied with your preparation and training camp?

"I can't say that I am 100% satisfied with my preparation in summer. But it´s hard work and I think that it's the requirement for good results in winter."

Katja and the World Cup winner 2010/2011 Kaisa Mäkäräinen in Oslo Holmenkollen

Can you make the prediction who, in your opinion, will win the world cup?

"I think it will be Darya Domracheva."

And among men?

"There are more candidates: Martin Fourcade, Emil Svendsen,Tarje Bo, Arnd Pfeifer ,Andi Birnbacher, Jakov Fak, Anton Shipulin or somebody else..."

You do something that no other biathlete – you write poems. Where do you get the inspiration?

"Writing poems is a hobby for me. I do it for the soul and all the inspiration is my life."

Do you write also about biathlon or about any other sports?

"I write about everything what happens in my everyday life. It's about my friends, my feelings, my emotions, my work and interesting places."

Is your poetry only in Russian or in other language?

"Now I have the book only in Russian language but in the future I want to translate some of them to English. But I must improve my English first…"

You wrote the book of poems “Waiting for the spring” – does it mean you like more spring/summer than winter?

"No, it doesn't mean that I like spring more than summer, autumn or winter.It means that spring is a very important time in my life because I come back to my family and friends and I have possibility to stay home for a long time."

What about life motto – maybe poem that you follow in your life…

"I think that my main life motto is my family and best friends. They make me happy and give me more power for my work."

Do you have any nicknames among your friends?

"No, I have no special nicknames among my friends. Just Katja or Katrin."

Katja with her teammates Marina Korovina and Olga Zaitseva (training camp in Toblach)

I heard you cook rarely, but when you cook yourself, what is it?

"Actually, I like to cook but I have no time for it. I like to cook fish and chicken and to make tasty desserts."

What else besides writing poems and cooking do you like to do?

"I like to travel a lot to the places and countries I have never been before. It's great to discover new places and to see different cultures."

Is there any place on earth you dream to visit – maybe to get some inspiration or to live in?

"Yes, my dream is to travel around the world and after that to write a book about my adventures."

Katja´s big love is discovering different cultures

Surely to write it home in St. Petersburg. Can you describe your hometown in 3 words?

"WONDERFUL, INCREDIBLE, MAGICAL..."

Sounds good...

"It is true! Especially "white nights". It is a very beautiful time in June when there is no sunset for 24 hours."

There are 2 years until Olympic Games in Sochi – in your country. What does it mean to you?

"I'm glad that Olympic Games will be in Russia. I think that it will be grandiose event."

10. 8. 2012

Behind the track: Natalia Prekopova "I work hard for the Olympic dream"

Biathlon is her life...

what else to say to this statement. Well, OK. This time without any additional words.

Just enjoy the exclusive interview with Junior WCH bronze medalist and Universiade champion from Trentino 2013 Natalia Prekopova.

Cross-country skiing and biathlon is part of your life since your childhood. Have you ever been thinking of doing totally different sport?

"I have been practicing cross-country skiing with my brother since I was a child, then I tried biathlon and from that moment I didn't want to do anything else. I love biathlon most."

Ok. Try to imagine the situation, you have the unique opportunity to be one of those athletes who participated not only in Winter Games but also in Summer Olympics. What event would you like to compete in?
"If I had a possibility to compete in Summer Olympic Games, it would be in tennis. Of course if I could play it better. I love playing tennis and i like to watch it on TV."

Are there any other sports you like to watch on TV besides tennis?

"Almost all winter sport but also cycling, athletics and World hockey Championship. And of course I tried to watch most of Olympic Games in London.

How did you enjoy your first Olympic Games in Vancouver?

"I will never forget my first olympics. I have beautiful memories, it was tremendous experience and probably the most beautiful month in my life."

Natalia with her teammate and friend Jana Gerekova in Whistler Olympic park

Are you looking forward to Sochi?

"Of course, I would like to compete there, Olympic Games are the dream of every athlete, but I must work hard for this dream."

What about your chance to participate in individual races?

"Well, let's see. Anyhow I will do everything for it."

If you could form your own relay team, who would you choose?

"I don't have any dream team, but I would like to be successful with our national's relay. It doesn't matter which slovak biathlete will participate in, we are all good athletes and also very good friends."

Natalia as a part of bronze mix relay in Summer European Championships Osrblie 2010

But surely you have a biathlon idol.

"Phenomenal Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. He is the biathlon king for me!"

Let's talk about favorites. When you have an opportunity to cook something yourself, what is it?

"My favorite food is "šúľance s makom" (slovak food - something like potato pasta rolls with poppy seed). I could eat it every day."

What about music? What kind of music make your days better?

"No specific genre. I listen to music according to my mood. Often I mix my own playlist which contains from almost everything - dance, hip-hop, dub step, slovak hits and also oldies."

How do you celebrate your successes? Do you remember the celebration your bronze medal from Junior World Championships in Ruhpolding 2008?
"Successes must be celebrated! I like celebrations with my friends most, with good music, good food and drinks....Of course, the celebration in Ruhpolding can't be forgotten, we enjoyed perfect biathlon party and then I was very surprised and pleased how my family welcomed me home in Krivoklát."

Is Krivoklát the place where fans can meet you most often when you relaxing?

"During the year we travel a lot for training camps, most often abroad, I spend much time in Banská Bystrica racing for VŠC Dukla club. But if I want to relax, yes, I do it in my silent birth-village Krivoklát."