Therefore Bjoerndalen – VG

Just before the World Cup starting explains Ole Einar Bjoerndalen (42) why he has not been a single World Cup with hook poles this season.

After one season with the bent rods manufacturer Exel, the veteran of biathlon World Cup with “regular” staves. He has gone 13 World Cup races this season. In all, he has used straight poles.

– This is purely technical things, explains Ole Einar Bjoerndalen.

– Hook wand is still evolving and still interesting if there are trails with routes where poles gives me an advantage. We conduct tests all the time and I will test a new type now before the World Cup.

– Teacher constantly

When Bjoerndalen started using hook rods he hoped to get up to 20 percent more power in each stone’s throw and earn up to 10 seconds on a hunting or mass. None of the other national team athletes have tested hook rods.

Now he has changed his mind.

– It was a good solution last year, and I was convinced that it was right to use the hook rods . But one learns all the time when it is engaged in the development, said Bjoerndalen.

SEEN THIS? In this exercise believes national team guys Bjoerndalen has its largest gold chance

– What has changed?

– I have now prioritized the weight of the rods. Now I go with what I think is the lightest stick on the market. I do to speed up the movement, said Bjoerndalen and explains that there are weight, stiffness, power transmission and pendulum which is crucial when he chooses which spells he should go with.

– Power transmission was extremely good on hook rods, but they did not hit as good on the other parameters.

Before what appears to be his last World Cup has Bjoerndalen tested a new three weeks long elevation program. When biathletes held its press meeting in connection with precamp Beitostølen was not 42-year-old to see. He was at Biri to make some adjustments in your ski boots. He then went to Sjusjoen to train.

Got free rein of associated

Sports Director Morten Aa Djupvik in Norwegian Biathlon Association says Bjoerndalen has gotten off to prepare on their own.

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– When summer and autumn, as it was then he really given free rein. Ole decided early on to drop the US and Canada to run the full height stay. When we consider it appropriate that he could make the final preparations towards the World Cup after good old gold recipe as he has done before, says Djupvik.

Ole Einar Bjoerndalen had one World Cup victory and was three times on the podium before Christmas. Before he went in height he had “modest” standings with 44, 30, 23 and 30th.