For the sports nation of China, the best are just good enough in preparation for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing: The biathlon men of the country will in future be coached by the eight-time Olympic champion Ole Einar Björndalen, Björndalen also resigned last year wife Darja Domratschewa supervised (four Olympic titles) the ski hunters from China. This was announced by the Norwegian-Belarusian couple in a joint statement.
"Today we start the daily training process and look forward to sharing our many years of experience with the team hosting the next Olympic Winter Games," said 45-year-old Björndalen. The most successful male athlete in the history of the Winter Games (eight gold, four silver, one bronze) also won 20 world titles in his active career, six times overall World Cup and 95 World Cup races, including one in cross country. He has no experience as a coach.
Domratschewa said, "We are of course delighted to take this opportunity to help our favorite sport worldwide grow into and for a country where biathlon and all winter sports have tremendous potential."
The commitment is likely to be related to an agreement reached last year by Norway and China during a visit by the Norwegian royal couple to Beijing: after that, both countries had decided to pursue further cooperation in winter sports. The Scandinavians have promised the Chinese to help them build winter sports.
