Behind the track: Lisa Theresa Hauser “My successes speak for my feelings”

Let her race and she will bring you a medal…

Any doubts? Remember 2 medals from last Junior World Championships in Obertilliach, 3 medals from European Championships in Bansko, the Austrian Championship title…What comes next? Let´s surprise! But when you´ll see her on the podium, you will know what stands behind her smile of success. Austria rocks!

Meet nice young and talented Lisa Hauser in our exclusive talk.

- We were 4 girls and once we tried cross-country skiing in my home village. It was so funny that we began to do it weekly. Most of the time we played a game or we hiked through the deep snow. I know that Kitzbühel is famous for alpine skiing. Until I was ten, I have been competing in cross-country and alpine races. But alpine skiing wasn’t my thing, so I decided to go on with cross- country skiing.

- I went to school which is focused on winter sports. Two years ago I switched to biathlon, because the coach asked me if I want to try it. At first I wasn’t sure if it is the right thing for me, but my successes speak for my feelings.

- I won’t come back to cross country skiing, because I like the combination with shooting and it’s more exciting. To run and to shoot are two different components which need to fit together in a day. 

- Last season was really fantastic. In December I was in a good performance, so I participated in relays in the World cup. But that my body would be so strong at the Junior World Championships was a surprise for me. I knew that I’m able to reach the top 10, but I didn’t think about the podium. So it was more wonderful for me, to win 2 medals in my home country. My preparation was nearly the same as last year, but I have never got really ill so I was able to do good training. My shooting was really constant, not as last year.

- I appreciate most the silver medal from the individual race in Obertilliach this year, because it was really surprising for me, that I’m so good at four shootings and long run. I rather like the sprint or relay.

- The best celebration of my medals was last year in Kontiolahti. We won the bronze medal in relay so I could celebrate with my teammates together. 

- The Junior World Championships in Obertilliach were much more emotional than last year. My whole family cheered me on in all competitions, that was really helpful for me. Also friends and people from my home village came to support me. The disadvantage was that I felt more pressure, but fortunately I was able to ignore it.

- Sometimes it is difficult to motivate myself, even when there is a bad weather, but I try to ignore the conditions and during the race I nearly remark the bad circumstances. I really like the feeling I have after a race, when you reached the goal!

- My future depends on my career as a biathlete. I’ll do everything to get a good one. Apart from that I haven’t any special dreams for my future in personal life.

- Maybe I’ll start in Sochi in the relay with an Austrian woman team, I don’t know now. But I’ll focus on my last Junior World Championships and on the IBU Cup.

- I haven´t any dream place… I don’t want to focus on special country. I never want to remove to another country but I like to make holidays at a place with white sandy beach, palms and turquoise sea. And I like to relax at home, in usual atmosphere.

- I like the feeling if the young children of my club want to do everything with me. It gives me the sense of kindness and being. But I have never thought about which famous person I would like to meet once in my life, I have no idea.

Austrian Champions - Lisa and Daniel Mesotitsch

- Unfortunately I have time to read books only if I’m not in school. But most of the time I read love stories or mental books. I don’t like the science fictions fairytales. 

- I switched my taste and now I eat almost everything, except seafood. I like to bake cakes and I love to eat them. My favorite food is traditional Austrian dish with blackberries.

- I like more winter than summer, that’s absolutely true. I like sun and nice weather but I don’t like hot temperatures in summer or to lie on the sun whole day long.  I’m a winter fan through and through.

Medal ceremony after sprint race at Junior World Championships with O. Podchufarova (silver), L. Dahlmeier (gold) and Lisa (bronze)

There is Lisa´s official page. Just click at
www.lisahauser.at

Behind the track: Olga Kalina “The best results are still ahead of me”

The next generation…

Yes, for sure. She represents the next generation of Russian biathletes. Young talented and waiting for her chance. I can imagine you are reading this intro 2 or 3 years later and you are nodding your head just to say: You were right man!

But forget the future for now. Just enjoy reading these lines. Enjoy our talk.

Meet Olga Kalina. Exclusively for Biathlonum. 

- First I was going in for track-and-field athletics, it was from 1st till 3rd form at school. Then Elena Vaygina, my first coach came to our school and she invited children to the ski club. My sister joined it first and later she started to entice me there. I didn’t know what to choose and ultimately I’ve chosen skiing. Then another coach came to our school Vladimir Vaygin, a husband of Elena Vaygina, he was a biathlon trainer and he had been a biathlete before. So since 2007 I’ve been doing biathlon! Unfortunately Vladimir Vaygin died in 2010 and I was thinking about leaving biathlon because I knew that no one could replace him. But his brother Konstantin Vaygin came to help us and our work goes on!

- What I like on biathlon is its complexity and that this sport requires self-control and you can’t relax! I like to endure complexities. Maybe I’m a masochist, but I really like it!

- I want to prove to myself that I can do it, that I’m not weaker or worse than the other athletes, that´s my motivation for the races. First of all I set certain goals, define what I have to cope with. My sister makes me stronger. I want her to be proud of me! I want to take part in biathlon competitions together with my sister to show everyone who we are and that our work is not in vain!

- I enjoyed Junior World Championships in general. I saw the competition among biathletes, I watched the way they ski and shoot. There were more positives than negatives. Unfortunately I was unlucky with my shooting and I can’t say that I was nervous, maybe I just wanted to show more than I could and as a result I wasn’t able to do even what I could do easily! But all the best is still ahead!

- Of course every sportsman dreams about Olympics but I'm not looking so far. I’m a realist! I would start with World Cup if only there was an opportunity for young athletes to try themselves there so that they could get some experience and confidence!

- My idol is my sister, but I’ve never told her that. I’ve always dreamt to ski like she does, I admire the way she copes with difficulties, the way she endures loadings on the trainings and during the races. She’s a real fighter!

- I like biathlon complex in Ufa, the track and a shooting range, we spend there a lot of time! I like Pokljuka in Slovenia as well. There are all the necessary things that we need for training so we can work with pleasure!

- I use to lie in the bed and watch TV after races, or maybe I use to go shopping to buy something sweet and tasty, I like sweet and tasty things very much. I also use to go to bed early in the evening and have a good sleep.

- If I was asked to become a face of any fashion brand I think I would agree, though it depends on what I’d have to advertise. I think it wouldn’t interfere my career or reputation.

- Most of all I might be described by the music I listen to, I like it very much! I always like trying something new. It depends on my mood. I can just sit and draw something or weave Baubles* for example (*a kind of handmade bracelets). Now I try to learn English because I understand that it’s very important nowadays! Also I may just lie in a bed and watch cartoons, there’s no the only activity that I like the most.

Olga with her idol - her sister Anastasia

- My friends can easily make me smile after bad race. They support me and start looking for some positive sides of the race. And of course my family, if they tell me: “Olia, anyway, you’re the best” - this would make me smile and not to be upset.

- I love summer, enjoying trainings during this period.

- I like travelling. I like going to training camps and competitions. When I come back home to have some rest I can’t stay there for long, I want to leave! I have no idea what would I do at home all the time, maybe I could go crazy. 

- I celebrate my successes with my family and friends. We like to remember everything we had to go through and what it led for. Also I can spend time in a noisy company laughing and chatting with everyone. Athletes are humans too and they need some rest.

 - If I wasn´t biathlete, maybe I’d get a psychological education. I enjoy studying people, I enjoy communication, learning something new! Though I could join any theatre circle. Now it’s hard to talk about it because I’ve chosen another way of life.

Behind the track: Johanna Talihärm "Sochi was only a dream, now it is reality"

3... 2... 1... smile                                                                                                   

...there is an extraordinary Estonian girl on the track! Talented biathlete, potential actress, big friend. Always smiling on her fans and enjoying every biathlon moment. Meet her and you can smile at her back in every race. Thanks Johanna Talihärm for a very nice talk. Exclusively and with a smile.

- I wanted to be an actress, and I even promised that I will try to candidate to acting school. Well I haven’t done it yet, but I still have a chance.                                                                                                 

- My mom was a biathlete, but never on top level and when I was 13 I had no special hobby or sport what I did, but I was active and I liked long distance running so mom offered me to try cross country skiing under the same coach she had. And after 2 years my cross country coach’s husband offered me to try biathlon. Then for few years I have been doing both, actually this is first year that I haven’t started in cross country race (yet). When I was chosen for Junior Championships team in Torsby 2010 and then raced in Otepää U26 EM I understood that biathlon is so interesting and will be my priority.

- I like to see my improvements and I just enjoy training. It is not hard to do what you like most. I can see that it is possible to do it better, and I work to achieve it.

- Each race is a bit special for me. I try to take them as lessons to learn and experience something new every time. But I hope my very special race is still coming, when I can combine perfect shooting and best ski form at the right time.

- These were my first World Championships and of course I enjoyed it. I liked how Nove Mesto's stadium has been improved, it felt like football arena. I have never heard so much noise on biathlon stadium. It was Also great to hear so many fans cheering not only athletes from their home countries, but everybody very passionately.

Enjoying Obertilliach with Dasha Yurlova, Grete Gaim and Martin Kiho

- I was able to start only in sprint at the Junior World Championships, because after that I got seriously ill and spent whole week in bed with angina. It was so sad to let my girls (Grete Gaim and Daria Yurlova) down in relay. We had dreamed about this race for 2 years and then I had to watch it from the side of the track. I was already feeling good but I had antibiotics so I still couldn’t race. I like Obertilliach, it is beautiful place, but unfortunately I have to say that this time I couldn’t do that.

- Before this season Sochi was only a far dream, which seemed impossible. But now I can see it as reality and I'm waiting it already. It will be really special, I hope!

- Oberhof is a bit special for me. There was my first World Cup race last year in relay, my best result in World Cup (51. position in sprint) and first pursuit race.

- I want to improve my shooting to the top level next summer. When I started this season I was for long the worst shooter in my team. (I still am the worst, but now others are not far ahead any more). And I'm looking forward to hard trainings, because I like to push myself and see the improvement.

- I am not a sleepy head. I can't sleep very long even if I would want to, but when I sometimes can sleep really long I enjoy it very much!

- I like very different kind of music, and it is mainly affected by my mood. If I had to choose one certain style I would choose lyric love songs.

- If I could be only the fan of biathlon I would choose Gabriela Soukalova as my favorite, because she is very beautiful and she seems kind and good person. I like how she is purely happy after every good race. From men my favorite would be Jakov Fak, because he seems great and funny guy and also because he represents small country. 

- I like mountain biking, hiking and downhill skiing. When I was younger I learned piano and flute, sang in the choir and dealt with acting.

- My rituals before the race… I have some warm up exercises which I do every time. If I have had a good race I used to wear same earrings or same hairstyle next time, but when it was bad one I used to change them.

- We haven’t done many bets with girls, but in summer during gym trainings our coaches thought us some funny and impossible exercises that after passing them we would be free from gym trainings until the end of the month or season. We have never passed these tests yet.

- In Estonian races our age group had same distances as men amateurs so then they compared results after race every, it was really fun and we were almost equal. But in top level I don’t think women are able to be so powerful on tracks, that they could be enough competitive in men's category. If somebody offered me a chance to start with men to see how many of them are worse than me, I would use the chance to try beating them...

Interested in Johanna? Visit her official blog:

www.johannablogi.blogspot.com

Behind the track: Daria Yurlova “Each race is an experience”

Imagine…

…you are standing by the track. A girl wearing the white and blue race suit with the rifle on her back is getting closer and closer. You recognize her. The young and talented biathlete from Estonia. Dasha Yurlova. Now you can see the power in her moves, the courage in her eyes. You know her story because you read this exclusive little talk we made.

- My grandma and grandpa were doing ski racing. When my uncle and my mom were young, they enjoyed skiing too, but not professionally. One day my cousin (not Ekaterina Yurlova, we aren’t relatives :) went to biathlon and when I saw her skiing, I really wanted to do it too. I still remember the day when I was 8 years old and my mom came and told me that I will also do biathlon. I was very happy because we had great team and because it was very interesting to do this sport. I improved very rapidly and at age 11 I was ready to compete...

- Sprint, Individual, relay... I like all the races. Every start is an experience for me.

- I don’t have an idol. Even when I started my sport career I didn’t watch biathlon on TV. But now I am a big fan of biathlon and there are people for whom I am very glad, when they go up on the podium – for example Olga Zaitseva or Teja Gregorin. But I also like when some young and unknow biathletes have good results and also go up on the podium just as Gabriela Soukalova or Miri Gössner did this season. I really like and respect that.  

- It´s complicated to think about composing my own dream relay team. I am still patriot and I want to compete only with my team. But may be it would be interesting to do mix relay with the biathlete, wax-man, coach or something like that.

- Above all, I hope I will go to Olympic Games in Sochi 2014. But I think the Olympic Games will not be the most important for me. I'm fairly young and not experienced, but I'll try to make the best for a good result.

- Each start motivates me. Every year I see that the leadership gap is shrinking and it motivates me more.

Dasha with her friends and teammates Grete Gaim, Kristel Viigipuu and Johanna Talihärm

- I like summer biathlon on roller skis, especially if it is necessary for training. Maybe one day we recognize summer biathlon as a part of Summer Olympic Games so we could be the athletes that participated in both Olympics, but I prefer the winter view of biathlon.

- If I could win the big event, for a start I would like to win the World Cup. Then the World Championships and then the Olympic Games. But seriously, I think it doesn’t matter what kind of medal I would win for Estonia, any medal matters.

- In this year my hometown Otepää hosted IBU Cup that was successful. There are also planned the Junior Championships and the World Cup. I think that Estonia is able to host such major events. And I hope it will soon happen. 

- I definitely know that there are Estonian fans during the races of the World Cup that cheering me on. But I can’t see everyone’s face. It's very nice when somebody is screaming at the track. 

- I can’t say who is my biggest fan. But you know - the family still worries about me the most. Sometimes it happens that my friends become fans, and fans sometimes become friends. 

- From the biathlon places I like Bavaria most – Antholz, Obertilliach, Hochfilzen. I like the mountains. There is often beautiful weather especially in Antholz - Anterselva.

- During my relax days if I'm at home, I must spend my time with my friends. At the training camp we either do shopping, or meet with other biathletes, do some own affairs in our rooms, playing cards or anything else.

- If biathlon doesn´t exist I think I would start to do sports in the gym. I used to play volleyball and basketball for the school. But I also like tennis so this is the second option. 

You can also visit the official blog of Dasha Yurlova:
http://dashik92.blogspot.ru/

Behind the track: Lukas Hofer: "I would like to be one of the bests in the future"

Once upon a time...

...there was one young and strong biathlete in South Tyrol... and he still lives there. He loves biathlon so much that he would like to become a king of this sport. Many people like him and many of them think he would be a great king. Me too.

So we just made a little talk. Exclusively. Meet Lukas "Luki" Hofer. 

Everyone has its own story about first touch with biathlon. What's yours?

     "I started with biathlon in the year 2000. When I was 4 years old, I started to practice cross-country skiing but once I tried to shoot and I felt in love with biathlon. So I changed it, because biathlon is more spectacular as cross-country skiing, you never know who will win or loose!"

The end of last season - your result in the World Cup was the best from Italian team. Half of the season is still to come. Do you want to be the number one in your team again?
     "Last season was not so great for me, but I will fight back to be again in the position as I was 2 years ago. For me it’s not important to be the best Italian, but I would like to be one of the best biathletes in the future!"

World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk 2011 - you won bronze medal in Mass start. Fantastic result - how do you remember this success and the celebrations?
     "The race was one of the greatest that I remember. We celebrated it all together just after the race with our team and also later at the disco in Khanty."

Olympic Games in Sochi are also in Russia. Is the podium and achieving a medal your main goal?
     "My training is programmed for Sochi. We will try to get the best shape for this Olympic games. We think that it's a great opportunity for us because the races are on a high altitude as in Antholz. And I think that everybody wants to win a medal!"

Maybe you will be successful in relay. Anyway, If you could form your own dream relay team - who would you choose?

     "Simon Eder, Me on the second loop, Emil Hegle Svendsen and Martin Fourcade."

Season 2010/2011 in Antholz. Lucky Italian team (Rene Laurent Vuillermoz, Markus Windisch, Luki Hofer and Christian De Lorenzi)
after 2nd place in relay

You were talking about Antholz. Many biathletes has named it as their favorite biathlon stadium. What's yours?
     "For me it is Antholz too, because it is sunny and I am at home with my friends.
But the second is Khanty, because I like the place but also the track. And one more thing - I like to race in the evening."

And where is your favorite place for trainings and for relaxing?
     "It is my home, and the home of my girlfriend."

How do your relax days look like?
     "I use to sleep as much as possible. If we are in training camp I listen to music, read a book, watch a film or we go outside to visit the place. At home I also practice the flight modeling and I play also the typical Tyrolean accordion! But normally after the races I try to spent time with my girlfriend."

We know biathlon is your life. But what other sports do you like to do?

     "Mountain running, mountain biking, table tennis and also paragliding."

Quite a lot. The nourishment must be very important then. We know Italian food is famous all around the world. Sure you like it. But what about any other food?

     "Of course I like Italian food! It's one of the best foods in the world, but I like also to try something new. I like the Austrian food too, because it is nearly the same as ours from south Tyrol, where I live."

Do you cook yourself? What do you like to cook most?
     "Yes, when I am at home I cook myself a lot! Various meals, because I know lot of things, but as an athlete I cook a lot of pasta, rise with vegetables."

And what about Italian mood? Is there anything that makes you a little bit choleric, angry or nervous?  

     "For me it is important to have a lot of fun in our training group! Sometimes there can be some problems, but it is normal!"

What can you make calm then?

     "Music can make me calm. I like it so much!"

You can also visit the official page of Luki Hofer:

www.lukas-hofer.com