Junior Says No Thanks To Development Team

Fifth Place At Junior Worlds Skier: Said No Thanks To The Development Team

Betty-Ann Nilsen (17) is one of Norway’s biggest cross country skiing talents. She was offered a chance to be a member of the prestigious ”Impuls” team for the upcoming season. The Impuls team has occasional camps with the national team and is very hard to make. Betty-Ann is doing other sports as well and was afraid of having more on her plate than she could handle. She turned down the opportunity.   

Betty-Ann captured a fifth place and at last years Junior Worlds. Skiing this fast and being only 17-years old made the Norwegian ski federation offer her a spot on both the Junior National Team and on the Impuls Team (development team).

Nielsen is also one of the nations best junior orienteering runners. She is afraid of being involved with too much at the same time. She has therefore skipped the first two junior camps and turned down the Impuls team opportunity.

“The junior national team camp in May was simultaneously with an orienteering national team camp and the on-snow camp at Sognefjellet was right ahead of the orienteering junior Worlds. I prioritized orienteering” said Nielsen.

Nielsen has moved to Lillehammer and will be a part of Norway’s High level sport high school (Norges toppidrettsgymnas).  She will have a great opportunity to focus on both school and training, but is not ready to choose between cross country skiing and orienteering yet.
 
“It’s awkward to turn down a spot like this, but both sports are fun and I’m not ready to make a choice yet.”

Nilsen placed 10th in an individual race and was on the bronze medal relay team at the orienteering Junior Worlds in Poland earlier this summer.  There are still some important races left on the orienteering schedule before skiing gets first priority.   

“I will focus on orienteering throughout August, but will try to make the cross country junior nation team’s camps as well,” said Betty-Ann.