Frode Estil (Norway), the 2002 Olympic Pursuit Champion (tied with Thomas Alsgaard) is happy with this past season’s results. He is now planning on listening to the biathlon skiers in order to make him a better skater next season.
 in classic, but he also had some good skate races. He was 8th in both Ramsau and Pragelato. He now wants to become even better in skating.</p>
<p>“I have worked a lot to improve my skating this spring. I’m not going to give up my fight to become a better skater. I need to develop an extra gear that I can use at the end of mass-start and pursuit races,” says Estil.</p>
<p>“I did well in classic races this season but was not as happy with my performance in the pursuit races. I have the speed to hang on but am not able to hang on or do anything in the final sprint. I have been very up and down in the skate races,” explains Estil.</p>
<p>He wants to do something about his lack of skate performance. He is therefore focusing on skate technique at this time of year.</p>
<p>“I hope to ski for another 2-3 weeks and delay the 'running shoe season' as long as possible,” explains Estil.</p>
<p>He has in addition to this talked to the biathlon team skiers and is planning to make adjustments in his own training as a result of this.</p>
<p>I participated in the Army Worlds last season. Many of the top biathlon skiers including Lars Berger and Tor Halvor Bjornstad were there as well. I discussed training with them and found it interesting. I need to skate more. Compare to me, the biathlon skiers are doing three times as many hard skate sessions. I need to develop more “push and guts†in my skating. As a result of this I will do more volume (distance) training on foot and more quality sessions will be done as skating, explains Estil.</p>
<p>Estil is therefore also planning more frequent use of hard quality (interval) skate sessions. He hopes that these changes will make him a podium candidate in next season’s pursuit races. The pursuit course at next years Worlds in Oberstdorf should fit Estil well. A hard classic course and a little easier skate course should be right up his alley.</p>
<p>“That should suit me well if I’m in shape,” says Estil. He did not ski well in Obersdorf last season.</p>
<p>He is of the opinion that Oberstdorf was the only World Cup course that was hard enough to separate and avoid the skiers coming toward the finish in one large group.</p>
<p>Estil will race fewer races next season and the focus is on the Worlds in February.</p>
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