Norwegian Sprint Queen Marit Bjorgen bared her back muscles for the Dagbladet newspaper in a recent article. Go to http://www.dagbladet.no/sport/2004/10/16/411527.html to see the photo
Bjorgen said in the interview that she is a little troubled by the trademark Sprint Queen. She doesn’t mind it but is not totally comfortable about it either.
– My goal is still to become a complete skier. Winn more than sprint races. It’s still a bit in Norway that you are not a “real skier†before you have won the 50-kilometer in Holmenkollen, said Marit.
 is already enormous and she should already this winter capture medal at Worlds in more than sprint races, said Samdal.</p>
<p>A new Bente Skari?</p>
<p>— Marit’s oxygen uptake is already now at least as good as the one that Bente had. Bente is not the standard that we try to reach. At least not in regards to training. What characteristic for Marit and most of the girls on the team — is that they are looking beyond what Bente did. They are not satisfied by copying Bente. They challenge, are trying to find new methods, they are not accepting that Bente’s methods is the only answer to success. — That’s why Marit has reached her current high level already. And several other skiers are on the way up behind her. I dare to say that the level of the women’s team is the highest ever, says Samdal.<br />
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