Ole Einer Bjoerndalen biography. Bjoerndalen fired back. The great Norwegian ended his career. Early years, childhood and family of Ole Einar Bjoerndalen

Their story involves Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. the site tells why the National Olympic Committee of Norway decided to take this step, and also who will replace the legendary athlete in the national team.

These Games were to be the last for the most successful biathlete in history. In the summer, Ole Einar prepared for the Olympics, trying to get himself into peak shape by February. Unfortunately, it was not without problems. The 43-year-old Norwegian, who also visited Raubichi, did not feel the best, but continued to be brave, not focusing on his failures in the preparatory period. Three-time Sochi 2014 champion and Bjoerndalen's wife Daria Domracheva recently told NRK that her husband's difficulties were quite serious.

“At first he had problems preparing in the summer. I think few athletes could even cope with this. But still he began to compete in the World Cup. However, perhaps because it happened so close to the season, it was difficult to get back into shape for the start of the season when it mattered most.

Bjoerndalen himself again modestly denied, calling the problems “unpleasant little things.”

Be that as it may, Bjoerndalen started the season well. He was 18th twice in the first World Cup. At that time, few doubted that Ole would easily meet the standards in the next races, but the results began to decline. In Hochfilzen, the Norwegian finished 28th in the sprint, and fell outside the top 40 in the pursuit.

Bjoerndalen did not go to the third stage in France, going with Domracheva to another training camp. And if Daria benefited from additional training, Ole was again far from the required condition. In the sprint on the Oberhof track, he was only 52nd with two penalties, and in the pursuit he was 36th. The stage in Ruhpolding was approaching, after which the Norwegian coaching staff planned to decide on the six that would go to Pyeongchang.

Brothers Boe and Emil Hegle Svendsen fulfilled all the standards at the beginning of the season. They repeatedly made it into the top 12 at stages without raising doubts about their candidacies. There were four contenders for the remaining three places: Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, Lars Birkeland, Erlend Bjontegård and Henrik L'Abe-Lund. The goal is to finish in the top 12 individually twice (or once in the top 6) or be in the top six Norwegians overall. In previous years, Bjoerndalen would have easily dealt with this trio, but now their results looked much more preferable.

Birkeland placed in the top 12 four times in individual races and proved to be an excellent relay starter. In the overall standings he is on the border of the top ten and even beat Svendsen.

L'Abe-Lund was also ahead of Bjoerndalen many times, and in Hochfilzen he was in the top 10 twice. He is now in 24th place in the overall standings.

Finally, Ole Einar’s main rival was the least famous biathlete of this squad, Erlend Bjontegård. The 28-year-old Kongsberg native regularly found himself as the seventh wheel, not making it into the national team. He was not taken to the Olympic Games and was only included once in the application for the World Championships. What can I say, even at the World Cup stages Erlend is an infrequent guest. When it became clear that he, and not Bjoerndalen, could go to Pyeongchang, Bjontegård felt uneasy, saying that he would be fine with the coaches' decision if they chose Ole. But in the end, Erlend’s results spoke better than any words. He was not included in the team for the stages in Östersund and Oberhof, but he made good use of his chance in Annecy when Bjoerndalen left for training camp. The 28-year-old biathlete finished tenth in the sprint and mass start, immediately fulfilling the standard of two places among the top 12 riders in individual races.

Everything was decided in an independent escort in Ruhpolding. Neither Bjöntegård nor Björndalen qualified for the mass start, so the 20-kilometer four-shooting race was the final test. To qualify for the Olympics, Ole Einar needed to finish in the top six, but the coaching staff would probably have been convinced by any high result from Bjorndalen, provided that Bjontegard performed worse. Before the start, the veteran was focused. He understood that the key factor would be not so much physical fitness as shooting, because for every miss in the individual race there is a one-minute penalty.

Bjoerndalen started the race at a good pace and passed the first shooting range without any mistakes. Ole consolidated his success on the stand. By the third shooting he was fifth, and by that time Bjontegård had already made two misses. Alas, it was the third firing line that became fatal for Bjoerndalen. He unexpectedly missed twice in prone. At the last shooting stage, Ole Einar added another miss to his liability and went to the finishing circle. In the final protocol of his most important race in this World Cup, he became 42nd. This is the worst result in the team. Even Vetle Sjostad Christiansen, who is not competing for a place in Pyeongchang, ran better. Bjontegård, like Ole Einar, missed three shots but finished 21st. On the track he was faster than Bjoerndalen by a full minute.

After this, the coach of the Norwegian men's national team, Siegfried Maze, faced a difficult dilemma. On the one hand, Ole Einar Bjoerndalen did not fulfill the selection criteria, on the other hand, the rejection of the great champion could cause the anger of the fans. If Maze had a choice, he would probably have limited himself to an application of four people. It is clear that it will be difficult for L'Abe-Lund and Bjontegard to fight for medals, and then the coaching staff will repeatedly remember Bjorndalen. But if we took Maze Ole Einar, who would also hardly have joined the fight for awards, there would have been noise about non-compliance with the sporting principle.

Maze decided to focus on the selection criteria. Birkeland, Bjontegård and L'Abe-Lund completed them, but Bjoerndalen did not. Although not immediately, the National Olympic Committee of Norway, which initially advocated the inclusion of Ole Einar and which approves the applications for the Games, nevertheless agreed with the opinion of the coaches.

— We have had thorough discussions with the sports directorate of the biathlon federation. Unfortunately, the decision was made not to include Ole Einar Bjoerndalen in the squad for the PyeongChang Olympics. His results this season do not give hope for a good result. Other biathletes performed better and deserved the opportunity to compete at the Games. It is difficult to make such decisions, given the merits of Bjoerndalen. His name will forever remain in the history of the Norwegian Olympic movement,” the NRK channel quotes the representative of the Norwegian NOC, Toure Øvrebo, as saying.

It’s hard to disagree with Evrebo. The decision of the Norwegian side is difficult, but fair. There is no doubt that this step will be discussed before, during and long after the Olympics. But it is much more important now to pay tribute to the great champion, who at the age of 43 decided to enter the fight for selection for the Olympics in a team with the highest competition in the world. Bjoerndalen does not live on the moon, he perfectly understood that his experience and endurance are no longer so effective in modern biathlon with these explosive speeds and crazy intensity. At his age, it is already difficult to digest loads sufficient for competitive struggle. But Bjoerndalen fought to the end and looked decent. His results were enough to qualify for any team in the world except Norway and Germany.

Failure to qualify for the Olympics will not make him any less great or take away his legendary status. Ole Einar Bjoerndalen will continue to be an eight-time Olympic champion, a 20-time world champion, a 135-time World Cup winner and the best biathlete in history. Well, we will once again regret that the International Olympic Committee does not issue a wild card outside the selection criteria, following the example of the organizers of tennis tournaments.

Many bright words can be said about the sports career of Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, who decided to retire from biathlon. Sportbox.ru has made a selection of the most exciting news of the last five years related to the Norwegian’s retirement from sports.

As soon as Bjoerndalen stopped consistently winning, and this happened in the early 2010s, rumors began to spread that he was going to retire. But every spring the Norwegian refuted them, starting preparations for the new season. In 2013, unexpected news appeared: “Bjoerndalen will retire after the Games in Sochi” .

“This is my last season and it is important for me to spend it with dignity. Fully focused on training and preparation. I will try to approach the Games in Sochi in good shape to end my career on a high note. That's all I want right now."

It is not surprising that the then 39-year-old Bjoerndalen was supported by biathlon leaders. For example, Anton Shipulin. “I'm not surprised by his decision. We must understand that the Olympics are the main goal for any athlete. Many people are targeting them and want to leave gracefully. After Sochi, more than one Bjoerndalen will probably do this.”

He added another victory to his sprint gold – in the mixed relay. His eighth Olympic success made Bjoerndalen the most decorated Winter Olympian. But the Norwegian I didn’t realize that I went down in history .

Although colleagues who are ready to remind Bjoerndalen of his greatness are always nearby. Ondrej Moravec from the Czech Republic was not shy and compared the Norwegian to God. Maybe this is the test of copper pipes that every successful person has to go through?

If Bjoerndalen had really left after Sochi, he would probably have been able to make a fortune in bets. After all, the Norwegian predicted the rivalry between Russia and Norway in the relay race very accurately.

Let's remember what happened four years ago on the Olympic track: Emil Svendsen lost out on the 100% victory of the Norwegian four, failing to cope with the shooting at the final standing position. Anton Shipulin took advantage of his opponent's mistakes and snatched gold.

At this moment, Bjoerndalen behaved with great respect for his teammate. He called for support for Svendsen. After all, anyone could be in his situation.

The incredible Olympic season ended not with retirement from biathlon, but with the continuation of his career: Bjoerndalen decided to continue his career.

“After I returned home from Sochi full of energy and strength, I talked with my team about whether I needed to reconsider my decision. As a result, I continue my career! At least until the 2016 World Championships in Oslo.”

But first, Ole Einar was greeted with joy in Simostrand, a Norwegian town famous for the fact that Bjoerndalen was born there. The residents gave their fellow countryman a modest, but at the same time luxurious gift in the form of a free parking space anywhere in the city. It was there, in his homeland, that Bjoerndalen announced his retirement four years later.

One of Bjoerndalen's characteristics is to always speak sincerely and very passionately about his love for biathlon. Not only with his victories and sporting longevity, but also with simple, but very honest words about his favorite business, he gained an army of millions of fans. "Biathlon is my life", - Ole Einar repeated more than once. In recent years, he has claimed that he is looking for motivation in a new challenge to myself. “I turned 41 and I’m still motivated!” .

Bjoerndalen entered his fifth decade with new equipment: curved ski poles, which he was the first to introduce into fashion.

He argued that new technologies would improve speed performance. And he proved this more than once during the season, overtaking Shipulin and Fourcade. But the most interesting thing in this news is that Daria Domracheva unexpectedly joined Bjoerndalen on the issue of introducing new equipment. Thus fueling rumors about their close relationship. The athletes kept their romance secret until the last, until the spring of 2016 no imminent replenishment announced. Last December, Bjoerndalen, congratulating Shipulin on fatherhood, complained that he would probably never become a father again .

Each subsequent birthday fueled interest in Bjoerndalen’s personality and his sporting longevity. More than once our colleagues tried to unravel Bjoerndalen's secret.

After the not very successful 2017 World Cup, Bjoerndalen, perhaps out of emotion, announced that these tournaments are over. He felt that he no longer had the right to spread himself thin and be ready for every race of the season. The Norwegian put all his efforts into getting to the Games in Pyeongchang. At the same time, he did not evade journalists’ tricky questions about doping in Russia and the scandal surrounding Richard McLaren’s report, which was in full swing.

Having won the bronze medal in the pursuit race at the World Championships in Hochfilzen, he said that he took the award as a victory.

“Don’t even ask me if I’m happy with this bronze medal - it’s not even a question,” said the Norwegian. - I'm just happy! In addition, this is my first podium this season, and I am very glad that I managed to climb it at the World Championships.

- How satisfied are you with your physical shape at the moment?

I felt much better on the track than in the sprint, so I continue to improve as the championship progresses, which is good news. In addition, I am very pleased with my shooting: even a mistake did not prevent me from winning a medal.

- a few hours ago. Did your wife's silver inspire you to race?

Yes very. Daria performed simply amazing, it can’t help but inspire.

- Before the start of this World Championship, did you expect that she would be able to win a medal?

To say the truth, no. In addition, she had a fairly large lag at the start of the pursuit. In the morning I watched the race on TV, and my wife surprised me very much: excellent shooting, excellent skiing! I was confident that Dasha would have some good races after returning to the World Cup, but I really didn't expect one of those races to come at the World Championships. I'm very happy for her.

Your family's magnificent performance is reminiscent of the 2004 World Championships, when Raphael and Liv Greta Poire shone on the podium together. How much has biathlon changed since then?

It has changed a lot: now it has become much more difficult to win, competition has increased very noticeably, athletes have begun to shoot and run much faster along the track. Of course, getting on the podium was not easy before, but now the level of biathlon as a whole has increased, and there are many more strong, high-level athletes than there were in previous times.

- How have you changed as an athlete over the years?

Of course, I try to keep up and grow with biathlon, look for new ways to develop and improve my professional level. Sometimes I succeed very well, other times a little worse.

You have always called Hochfilzen one of your favorite stadiums, and this is also where you won gold at the World Championships in 2005. What makes your local stadium so special to you?

In 2005 I was much stronger at distance than I am now. I also won a lot of cup honors that season and was overall stronger. But one way or another, I really like the local slope and it also suits my skiing technique well, so I really love competing here. I remember that winning race in 2005 well. I would really like to plunge into those feelings of lightness on the track again.

Ivanna Nikolskaya, Sportbox.ru

Katya Kulinicheva tells how the 8-time Olympic champion, 20-time world champion and this winter's hero stays in shape. And what else can we learn from him?

When Emil Hegle Svendsen, Ole Einar Bjoerndalen's younger colleague on the Norwegian national team, was once asked whether he considered himself capable of catching up with his compatriot in terms of greatness, he answered with a laugh: “I can hardly even reach his ankles.” Fans are offering €60,000 for a pair of his competition skis. A lifetime monument was erected to him.

The sporting longevity of the biathlon king, who humorously refers to himself as “my old body,” has long been a topic for inquisitive discussions among sports fans. Many people don’t understand how he does it or why. Bjoerndalen won his last, eighth Olympic gold in 2014 in Sochi, just two years ago. Despite his promises to leave biathlon at the end of the current season, it would be correct to clarify: “the last for now.” After all, he already changed his mind once.

Since 2002, Bjoerndalen has been training mostly according to individual plans, periodically attracting various specialists of various profiles to his team. He is known to experiment a lot. With the design of boots, the shape of poles, with training programs and psychological preparation. I once contacted a specialist in walking on coals. And for this season, for example, I was preparing with a special mobile center in a small van, combining a training block and a laboratory. Ole Einar himself says about this: “When I’m on a roll and achieve success, I become very creative.”

The Norwegian is quite willing to share those details of his sports regime that may be useful to mere mortals. For example, he advises to engage in different sports, and not focus on one - this helps to better understand your own body and, as a result, avoid unnecessary injuries.

Once Ole Einar recorded for one of his sponsors a short video course of three exercises with Nordic walking poles, which will help everyone prepare for the ski season.

1. Nordic walking on hilly terrain with a natural range of motion to strengthen the hips and core.
2. Move with the same poles, but as if bouncing, minimally bending the leg at the hip joint to strengthen the legs. According to the athlete, this is how moose run.
3. Moving around with Nordic walking poles, bouncing on each leg and twisting your body at the same time, is similar to what children do.

Bjoerndalen has also publicly confessed his love for bananas, which he considers the best snack during active training, an excellent alternative to sports drinks and a means to prevent muscle cramps. The biathlete himself estimated that he ate more than 30,000 pieces of these fruits during his career.

Ole Einar generally talks quite a lot about food and with pleasure, although he calls himself a generally unpretentious person. Once he even admitted that he eats at least five times a day, and the first thought with which he usually wakes up is about food.

“You could say that I’m always hungry,” the Norwegian admitted. “Although this is normal for an athlete: if you train a lot, that means you eat a lot.”

Ole Einar's culinary preferences partly shatter the image of a boring and correct superman, slightly out of this world, that exists in the imagination of many people. Like the photo of him topless in bed with a couple dozen white teddy bears, which he posted on Twitter on the last day of the Sochi Olympics. Bjoerndalen confessed his love for Italian cuisine, which he called optimal for a professional athlete, sushi and ice cream (his favorite dessert). He can afford it: with a height of almost 180 cm, the athlete has a medium-sized constitution and weighs just under 70 kg.

And not so long ago, Ole Einar, together with fellow athletes, took part in working on a book called “Gold in the Mouth,” in which famous Norwegian champions shared their favorite recipes.

But Bjoerndalen is interesting to everyone not only for his exercises and recipes. What else can his brilliant career teach him?

For example, the fact that what you love has no less noticeable cosmetic effect on a person than all the masks and creams in the world. Compare his current photos with shots from 15 years ago (most likely, the comparison will be in favor of modern photos). Look into his burning eyes. Think about it, does he seem like a grandfather in the company of young colleagues?

“Various things could happen to my body, and sometimes this prevented me from achieving results in sports. But I never had problems with incentives,” Bjoerndalen will say.

Is it any wonder that two years ago he changed his mind about leaving the sport and stayed for two more seasons?

“I was going to retire after the Olympics, but I was not ready for this,” explained the Norwegian. - Putting an end to a long-standing passion is never easy. And I was involved in biathlon professionally from the age of 12 or 13: nine training sessions a week, and so on from year to year. I realized that I want to run for two more years, and I will really regret it if I don’t try.”

Now we talked with the legendary Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, catching up with the Norwegian at the presentation of a limited edition Certina watch dedicated to His Majesty. There we asked Ola questions invented by our readers.

The first question disappeared on its own: our reader Alexey Krasnokutsky asked to find out why the biathlete rarely shakes hands, but Ole shook my hand so firmly that I immediately moved on to the next point of the interview.

Ole Einar, as you know, cross-country skiing is much more popular in Norway than biathlon. Why did you choose this particular sport? After all, everyone knows that in cross-country skiing you climbed to the highest step of the podium at the World Championships, that is, you have very fast skiing. ALEXEY BERESNEV

I like sports where you have to think a lot, and biathlon is much more difficult than cross-country skiing. In racing you only need strength and a crazy attitude, but in biathlon you also need enormous control over yourself. You have to be as calm as a boa constrictor and calculating in order to switch from a state of focus on the shooting ranges to the race that occurs between them. It is very difficult to train this combination so that success in one does not lead to decline in the other. It was this complexity of biathlon that attracted me. By the way, it was also a serious challenge, because at first I shot very poorly.

What did you have to sacrifice and give up for such stunning successes? What do you regret most (sleep, alcohol, etc.)? DMITRY DMITRIEV

If you have a goal and it takes a long time to get there, it requires a lot of discipline. Our travel takes a lot of time - I am away from home 300 days a year, add training to this - and it becomes clear that my family sees me very rarely. In such a situation, of course, you do not completely lose contact with your loved ones, but maintaining it is more difficult than when you simply return home from work every evening. Here's one victim for you. I brought the other one at the age of 12, when I was determined to become the best in the world and decided never to drink alcohol. Since then I have not broken this promise, and it has not been so easy. In principle, I am not against alcohol. I think that after my career ends, I will sometimes drink something, but first, sports.

What can be an analogue of an Olympic gold medal for you in ordinary (non-sports) life? What causes the same emotions? NINA PEREGONTSEVA

The Olympics are special emotions, but I cannot say that they cannot be achieved in ordinary life and training. For me, a great pleasure, comparable to victories, is the opportunity to advise something to young athletes and see how it helps them become better. Sometimes this immediately affects their results - for me this is a great joy. Another joy accessible to everyone, close in emotion to the happiness of receiving an Olympic medal, is charity, helping children. As for the adrenaline that I get from biathlon, fast cars give me similar sensations. I also love rock climbing and, in general, I love discovering new sports. All these are also sharp and strong emotions.

How did you become interested in auto racing? Do you have your own car, what brand is it?)) IRINA GORBACHEVA

I love speed and racing. When I had a contract with Porsche, I jumped at the chance to drive all their cars. Now I have a contract with BMW and, again, I test all their cars, and I also look at them from the point of view of an athlete who is used to competition: I mean, I’m interested in watching what they do to be the best in your class, defeating your rivals. I can't even compare myself closely to professional racers, but I like that there is a lot to learn in this sport, and the feeling of being in control of a powerful car is something special.

Dossier:

Born on January 27, 1974 in Drammen (Norway) into a large family - he has two brothers and two sisters. His sports career began when he was only twelve years old. His older brother Dag instilled in him a love for biathlon, and subsequently, with his younger brother, Hans-Anton, the brothers created the “Bjoerndalen Team,” which for many years formed the backbone of the Norwegian national team.

The first competition in Ole’s sports career was the World Junior Championships in 1992. And his first success came to him a year later, at the next world junior championship, when he won three out of four races. In the 1994/1995 season and especially at the 1995 World Championships in Antholz, Ole attracted close attention, finishing fourth and literally losing his medal. Thus began the era of Ole Einar Bjoerndalen in biathlon. At the end of the same season he also finished fourth in the World Cup. But on the same track in Antholz in January 1996, he won his first World Cup victory.

At the Olympic Games in Nagano in 1998, Ole won his first gold and silver Olympic medals in the relay race as part of the Norwegian team. That same year, Ole and his teammates won a gold medal in the relay competition and a silver medal in the pursuit race. And then he won the World Cup for the first time.

2002 was one of the most successful years in Ole's career - gold medals in four disciplines (individual, sprint, pursuit, and relay) at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, as well as brilliant performances at numerous cross-country competitions -country skiing.

Ole Einar Bjoerndalen is a unique personality in the history of biathlon; he rightfully received the nickname "King Ole". The success of this athlete and his charisma greatly contributed to the increase in the popularity of biathlon in the world. Ole's personality, with over 90 World Cup victories and numerous world cross-country skiing victories, is extremely attractive to a wide range of people.

His recent impressive victories and two more gold medals (sprint and mixed relay) at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics show that Ole is still the best in the world. The most decorated Olympian (13 medals) continues to amaze the world at 40 years old, and his endurance remains inexhaustible. In recognition of his contribution to the development of biathlon and sports in general, Ole Einar Bjoerndalen was elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee. Ole Einar Bjoerndalen has been a CERTINA brand ambassador since 2011.

What sport would you do if you lived in a place where there is no snow? PAVEL TSYMBAL

Perhaps it would be long distance running. For example, half marathons. Perhaps a mountain bike. I really love mountain biking because you can travel, you can go to places that at first glance seem inaccessible. A very interesting thing. I would advise Men's Health readers not to get hung up on any one sport; there are many activities that do not require special equipment and large financial and time expenditures. The same running. If you run 30 minutes a day, you are already doing a great job If you can’t run, swim. The main thing is not to be lazy, sports are also great fun.

Ole Einar, few people know that you walk a tightrope perfectly and as a child you dreamed of becoming a sports photographer, what prompted you to change your childhood dream and become a biathlete? ARTEM

At school I loved photography and became seriously interested in this activity, but gradually the sport took up all my time. Maybe when I finish my career I will return to photography. I learned to walk on a tightrope a long time ago - when I was 12-13 years old. Then my dad advised me to try it, and I liked it, because the ability to maintain balance can come in handy at the most unexpected moment in life. I learned it in two weeks, and this skill is like riding a bicycle, you learn it once and you can always repeat it. I even once showed a striptease at a party, walking to the rope. I had my panties on all the way, but I was able to take off all the other clothes right on the rope.

Ole Einar, please remember the best advice you ever received from your coach. IVAN

My weakness was shooting. And I quickly realized that this technique was much more difficult for me than for others. As a result, I even had to work with a psychologist. But what really helped me was that I trained shooting twice a day, five days a week, for a year. I obviously don’t have any talent for this, but here’s some advice for you - if something doesn’t work out for you, don’t give up, but just put in two or three times as much effort as others (perhaps more gifted than you) and you you will become better than them.

Dear Ole! When did you get more pleasure from biathlon training - at 17 years old or at your current age? ALEXANDER CHERNY

When I was younger, I was more interested in trying new things, learning from everyone and trying to apply and combine different things, looking for optimal solutions. Now I’m probably the most experienced biathlete in the world and everything is different. Now I have to feel where this sport is going and what new athletes are bringing to it - perhaps they will see something fresh that never occurred to me. I have to watch, learn and copy their strengths. I think I'm good at this. If I see a slightly different skiing or shooting technique that brings results to someone else, I will always try it. To do this, I don’t even need to talk to the person I want to copy, just look, feel his movement - and that’s it, I can already repeat it. This is what helps me, even at 40 years old, work on my technique and continue to improve it.

Dear Ole Einar, what thoughts do you have during the race? Thoughts about what make you maintain concentration and the will to win, at the right moment collect all your reserves and rush to the finish line? NIKITA

I always have a plan for the race, it's in my head. Previously, these plans were very detailed and detailed, but now they are more general, since I can already largely rely on my feelings, instincts and experience. I can trust myself. The most important thing is to mark a few key points that will prevent you from missing out on the race. When you're tired, your brain and your muscles don't work as well, and at that moment you need to stay calm. Everything is provided for in my plan, and these, as I call them, “key points” make it possible not to lose control.

Ole Einar, what dreams do you have before important competitions? VLADIMIR SMIRNOV

I may not sleep - worry and endlessly replay in my head the same plan for the race that I already talked about. And sometimes, on the contrary, I fall through and sleep before the start, like a child. It’s always different - sometimes I wake up relaxed, sometimes I’m all wet because I dreamed of a race in which something went wrong. I think it’s not that important, and if girls dream of you before the competition, that’s also good.

Is it true that you come to the competition with a vacuum cleaner mascot? And if so, how did he become your mascot? NIKITA GORLOV

I said that I spend the whole year traveling and I need to always stay healthy. Infections and viruses throw an athlete off schedule and prevent him from training or performing. Therefore, if there is a carpet on the floor of a hotel, I would rather clean it myself again, because I know how difficult it is to vacuum such a thing well, ridding it of any infection. For about fifteen years I flew everywhere with the same vacuum cleaner and, yes, perhaps it was my talisman. But for two years now I have always stipulated in advance that everything in the room should be plastic or wooden, without carpets. So now the vacuum cleaner lives at home.

Of the several dozen questions you sent for Bjoerndalen, our jury, consisting entirely of the golden feathers of Men's Health, selected the best. We admit, it was difficult to do this (friends, you did great - the questions were very good), but since the interview could not last several hours, we had to cut the list almost to the quick. As for the prizes, here they are:

1. NIKITA GORLOV

2. DMITRY DMITRIEV

3. PAVEL TSYMBAL

Congratulations to the winners - wait for your number of Forces to be replenished and send your full name, postal address and telephone number to [email protected] so that we can send you prizes.