One of the Worlds best biathlon skiers, Ole Einar Bjorndalen has decided not to attempt to race both biathlon and cross country at the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy reports Norwegian newspaper VG.
Bjorndalen will however race the specialists in the Norwegian season opener in two and a half weeks.
Norwegian biathlon national team skiers Ole Einar Bjorndalen, Lars Berger and Frode Andresen has all gotten permission by the biathlon coach to test themselves in the cross country season opener at Beitostlon in a little more than two weeks.
The rest of the biathlon team will race a biathlon sprint on November 13, while these skiers will race the 10-kilometer freestyle race against Norway’s fastest specialists.
All three will race the biathlon mass-start race the day before. Lars and Frode sees a possibility to qualify for the Norwegian 50-k cross country freestyle team at the Olympics and might try to qualify by racing in the Nove Mesto race the day before new-years, says the Norwegian biathlon coach Roger Grubben.
He seems relieved that Bjorndalen has decided to focus on biathlon
