2013-06-19

Marie Dorin-Habert interview (français)

Nous avons eu des entretiens avec plusieurs biathlètes fantastiques, même sur leurs anniversaires - maintenant une autre date très importante est aujourd'hui. L'anniversaire de nr 4 biathlète du monde, Marie Dorin-Habert. (L'interview a été réalisée le 6 Juin.)

BFH : Marie, les fans de biathlon hongrois voudrais tout d'abord vous souhaiter un très joyeux anniversaire! Avez-vous le temps de fêter ça entre les formations?

Marie : Non !! d’ailleurs le jour de mon anniversaire je serai en stage à Bormio avec le groupe France ; Je pense qu’on mangera un petit gâteau pour l’occasion mais ce sera tout ! et puis de toute façon je suis vieille maintenant, je n’ai plus envie de souffler des bougies !

BFH : Vous avez fait votre meilleure saison jusqu'à présent avec 3 podiums individuels et 4ème place au classement général - qui a été votre meilleur moment de l'hiver dernier?

Marie : Sans doute le premier podium à Polkjluka car ça ‘a rassuré de savoir que je pouvais monter sur la boîte en décembre et surtout ça m’a donné goût d’y remonter pour la suite.

BFH : Quel serait le résultat à Sotchi que vous seriez heureux avec? À Vancouver, vous aviez une d'argent et une de bronze, je suppose peut-être que vous voulez encore mieux ...

Marie : Non, je crois que quelque soit le métal de la médaille, je serai contente si je peux en ramener une chez moi !!

BFH : Quel est le plan de formation pour l'été? Vous voyagez à nouveau en Norvège pour le Festival de Blink?

Marie : Oui nous allons au Blink festival après un stage de 15 jours en Norvège sous la pluie, sinon nous baroudons de sites en sites à raison de 15 jours de stage par mois.

BFH : Enfin, s'il vous plaît nous dire si vous vous rappelez les fans de biathlon hongrois ou si vous avez quelque message spécial pour eux. :)

Marie : Bonjour les fans de biathlon Hongrois !! Merci de soutenir les petites françaises, surtout celles qui se plaignent tout le temps et qui ont mal aux jambes très très souvent sur les courses !! Merci pour tout,
A très bientôt,
Marie

Merci pour vos réponses et nous vous souhaitons une bonne préparation pour la saison olympique!


Marie Dorin-Habert interview (English)

We had interviews with several fantastic biathletes, even on their birthdays – now another very important date is today. The birthday of the world’s nr 4 biathlete, Marie Dorin-Habert. (The interview was made on 6th of June.)

BFH: Marie, the Hungarian biathlon fans first would like to wish you a very happy birthday!!! Do you have time to celebrate it between the trainings?

Marie: No!! Anyway on my birthday I'll have training in Bormio with the French team. I think we'll eat cake for this moment but just that. I'm an old now, I don't feel like blow the candle's!

BFH: You did your best season so far with 3 individual podiums and 4th place in the overall ranking – which was your best moment in the last winter?

Marie: Without any hesitation: the first podium in Pokljuka . It was a good feeling I could be among the best in December and after that, I wanted taste again podium after long time.

BFH: What would be the result in Sochi which you would be happy with? In Vancouver you had one silver and one bronze, I suppose maybe you want even better…

Marie: No, I do not care about the type of the medal, I will be happy if I can bring back one home!!

BFH: What is the training plan for the summer? You travel again to Norway to the Blink Festival?

Marie: Yes, we go to Blink Festival after stage in Norway under the rain. Otherwise we change training stage every 15 days.

BFH: Finally, please tell us if you have some good memories from the Hungarian biathlon fans or if you have some special message to them.

Marie: Hello Hungarian biathlon fans!! Thanks to encourage the little French girls, especially the one who complain all the time and have very very sore legs during the races!! Thanks for all,
See you soon,
Marie


Thank you for your answers and we wish you good preparation for the Olympic season!




2013-06-17

Erik Lesser interview

In this week we have some special interviews to all of our followers - also from the largest biathlon nations! After Norway and Russia we managed to reach another big biathlon country, Germany: we have an interview with Erik Lesser, who had two individual podiums in the last season and became a top 20 athlete this winter.

Erik, first we would like to congratulate to you for your results. You started the season with a fantastic individual race in Östersund (3rd place and 20/20 shooting). Did you thought there that you can continue this performance during the season?

Thank you very much. In Östersund I was surprised by myself, that it worked so well. At this time my target was to be a part of the National team and reach some results among the best 30th.

Which was your best and your worst moment in this winter?

The worst moment was the the second shooting at the WCS, running at the end of the relay. But it wasn´t during the shooting or running, the bad feeling came up after recognizing which huge chance I missed. The best feeling I had hours after the relay. All my colleagues supported me and I reached the fifth place the race after.

What are your expectations for the next season? The traditions and the big popularity of biathlon always puts pressure to the German athletes, mainly in the Olympic season… How do you see your chances in Sochi?

First of all I would be a fix part of the team and I would like to confirm the results of the last season. Ths would be a huge success for me and it would mean the qualifying for Sotchi.

When do you think an individual World Cup win is possible for you?

I don´t know.

How did you feel yourself as the last member of the relay? You had great races and exciting moments in Ruhpolding and Nove Mesto!

I was very proud and a little bit nervous:). But the most important thing was to be a part of the relay.

What are you doing at the moment – where do you prepare for the next season?

We have different training courses at home and in the mountains. We are working hard to become the best fitness. In between I had some dates with my sponsors and I am constructing my homepage.

Finally, please tell the Hungarian Biathlon Fan Group a short special message – in our country biathlon is not so popular like in Germany… Why should all the Hungarian people be a biathlon fan?:)

Because it´s me:) No, it is a fantastic sport and you will never know what comes up in the future.

Really thank you for the answers and we wish you a good preparation for Sochi!!! 


Victoria Padial Hernández interview

The summer is calling! Today we have an interview with the young Spanish woman Victoria Padial Hernández. She is the only one from her country Who starts in the World Cup series. This is not surprising, because the mediterranian country isn't famous from winter sports, but here is a woman who can change this. So get your coctails to your hands, sit back, and enjoy our brand new interview with this beautiful and always smiling talented girl!

BFH: When did you start biathlon, and why did you choose this sport?

Vicky: I live in Granada in the south of Spain hot land near Africa, I began practice cross country ski when I was 7 years old with my family and friends in our high local mountains (3.400m). I love skiing but after years of training I was a little bored so I was thinking about biathlon because I saw this sports show in tv. I started shooting with a rifle very late when I was 19 years.

BHF: You achieved your best results in the last season, and in Sochi you reached your first world cup point. How do you see your last season?

Vicky: we are very pleased with the last season because it was our first complet season in WC and we have achieved our goals and now we have more motivation to continue to work and improve for the next year.

BFH: Everybody said Sochi is the strongest track ever, but you reached your best result there. What can you say about this track?

Vicky: I really love the Sochi tracks, in my town Granada we have a lot of mountain and hard uphill so this type of relief is good for me and my preparation in Spain! Sochi is different from all other tracks and that makes it more special and exciting Olympics games for all spectators.

BFH: After this great result what place could be your objective in the next year's Winter Olympic games?

Vicky: Top 30 and achieve my dream of participating in a mass start

BFH: And what's your objective in the World Cup races?

Vicky: Take more point regularly in all types of competitions and assure a permanent in WC without more wildcard and relax on this issue.

BFH: Your results are better and better year by year. Tell to us please, how will you prepare yourself for the next World Cup season? What's Victoria's secret?

Vicky: I am training alone, in spring I´am training in my town practicing cycling, montain bike, runing and acurace shooting in the olimpic center where the next 2015 World shooting championships will take place. In june I begin specifique biathlon training with roller skis in France where my coach Alex NAPPA live. My only secret is the passion I put in everything I do.

BFH: Will you have special trainings for the Olympic games? In what races are you planning to start in the pre-season?

Vicky: We never follow the same training plan every year. Like my coach Alex said me in 2008, if we do the same thinks we stay in place and if we copy Russian or French training method… in the best case we will be just behind them. Simply because we don`t have the same budget. We must develop our own method and you must participate because we are alone. I trust him and I did not regret.
We are thinking participate in the biathlon summer world championship but surely in the French biathlon summer tour.

BFH: Which place and what kind of competition is your favourite and why?

Vicky: This season I have known new tracks and I love all of them. Each place have some special details but I prefer sunny place like the first days in WC Sochi! My favourite competition is the pursuit, I like so much the fighting spirit but I want to make a mass start I think this race will be the best format for me!

BFH: What's your best memory from your career so far?

Vicky: I always remember my second place in the International cross country championships Topolino – Italy when I was 13 years old but this year I experienced moments very intensive like my first pursuit in a WC in a great biathlon atmosphere in Oberhof and of course my first wc point in Sochi!

BFH: Now the season is over, you can relax. How will you plan to spend your free time? What do you like to do? What hobbies do you have?

Vicky: Invent, improve and test new products, currently with Dragonski I am in charge of the development of Roller skis with flex-control like in cross-country skis ... the famous FA. The results are excellent, I have been using them from last season, next week we will introduce to the technicians of French biathlon team. Also I have developed last off season my own natural cosmetics products and this summer we start the first production. Soon all information in my website www.victoriapadial.es

BFH: Thank you the interview, we hope you the best! At last please tell some words specially for the Hungarian fans!

Vicky: Thanks all of you for your great support in all competition with a great atmosphere I hope see all of you next year in an exciting competition!!


 

2013-06-02

Chardine Sloof interview

We give a chance to athletes to offer us somebody for an interview. Johanna Talihärm take this opportunity, so we have a very special interview again.
We have interview with a little talented girl from a very little nation of biathlon. She is the girl who surprised everybody in Kontiolahti in the Youth and Junior World Championships in 2012. Yes, she is Chardine Sloof from Netherlands.

BFH: Dear Chardine, thank you to accept our interview request. You are a special person in the world of biathlon. You race in the colours of Netherlands, which isn't famous from this sport. The climate and the natural conditions aren't seems suitable. Tell to us please why did you choose biathlon and when did you start your career?

Chardine: I started with Biathlon when i was 10 years old, when i was 15 years old i did my first international race in Geilo (NOR) at that time still called europa-cup in the junior competition.I started with biathlon because my older brother did it (when we already lived in Sweden). One day i was there at the training to watch and I got the chance to shoot one time and that sold me.

BFH: In 1999 you moved to Sweden with your family. Everybody say biathlon is one big family. This statement is absolutely true for you, because you live in a real biathlon family. Your brothers are biathletes too, and your father is your coach. What it feels like such a fantastic family to live?

Chardine: Its great I am very happy to get this support from my family. It helps me a lot. a lot of people say they wouldn't be able to do it the way we do, but i like it. Of course sometimes it can be hard but mostly it makes it easier, like talking about things. Its also very good to have them around me during traveling in the winter because it doesn't make me longing to home so much except for seeing my mom of course.

BFH: Biathlon is one of the most beautiful sport in the world, but unfortunately in Hungary isn't popular. Has Netherlands the same problem?

Chardine: At the last olympic games biathlon was the second best watched sport on the TV in the Netherlands. People like to watch and the most have seen it, but ice speed skating will always be number one because thats the winter sport from the Netherlands. I think the biggest problem in the Netherlands is that we never have a real winter, when there is 5 cm of snow it is one big chaos with traffic. And Shooting in the Netherlands is not very possible in the way we do it in biathlon.

BFH: The little nations always get help from the bigger nations. From which nations do you get the most help and with who do you have the best relationship?

Chardine: Thats the beauty of biathlon cause when you need help everybody is willing to help. Right now i am in Norway and get a lot of help from them.

BFH: Unfortunately you have problems during the last season, we saw that you can't start in the sprint in the WCH, and you must to gave up the individual.
But it is positive, that you achieved your personally best World Cup results and won the Swedish Championships. How do you remember to your last season?


Chardine: The start of the season was great, after Christmas in Ostrov (RUS) I even made my best spot so far in the IBU-cup, so i was in good shape but after that i got sick and the most important races all fell under it. I tried in the last few world cups to come back and I felt I made progress every race but I didn't come back the way i had hoped.

BFH: Your nation is in the 33th place now. The best 28th can start in Sochi next year. You are a hard situation to qualify yourself to Sochi like our biathlete Emoke, because you are the only one woman from Netherlands in the World Cup series. Do you see chances to complete it? Our fan group's motto is 'Impossible is nothing!', so we hope you'll say yes for this question!

Chardine: I would love to say nothing is impossible. but for me it is impossible to make Sochi. As the information i got, it is the nation points you get in the last world championships (Ruhpolding 2012 and Nove Mesto 2013), not the world cup nation points. Im not really sure what place I am on but i thought around 38th. That means I am far away from 28th and I am sure that it is impossible.

BFH: What are your other goals for the next season?

Chardine: My biggest goal is to make the Olympic qualification from the Dutch olympic committee, Just to try to show that i am capable of doing that. And of course make better places in the world cup then i did last year I know I should be able to do that.

BFH: In 2012 you surprised the world. You won 2 gold medal in Kontiolahti in the Youth and Junior World Championships. Your individual win was fantastic, but your pursuit win from the 8th place was amazing. In 2015 the World Championships will be there, you already have great memories from this track. What do you think, will you repeat your wins?
And, how do you remember back to the Junior WCH competitions? I think they were your most beautiful days in your life.

Chardine: yes they really were, i liked the track very much. When we had our races there it wasn't so cold like the world cup the week before so it was perfect. I will of course try to be there and hoping for the best. It is still far away so its hard to say anything about places. But its always a dream to be able to stand the highest again in the big competitions.

BFH: Are you started your preparation for the next season or you have some day from your rest time? Will you have special trainings?

Chardine:I have start training in May, unfortunately I had an injury with my knee so I was out for almost two weeks. Right now everyday is getting better and I will train real hard for the coming season.

BFH: How did you spend your free time? What hobbies do you have? Could you live for them?

Chardine: I went a week to London with my family, that was very nice. I bake a lot, i love to bake infact, thats my hobby.

BFH: We would like to thank you the interview and we wish you the best to your next season and a good preparation. Finally, would you like to send a special message to the Hungarian fans?

Chardine: Dear Hungarian fans keep cheering for the dutch woman team, right now we are not so many but maybe one day we will be more Thank you!

If you like Chardine or want to know more about her, you can get more information in her official facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ChardineSloof?fref=ts


Ahti Toivanen interview

Our next station in our international trip is Finland: and we manage to make an interview with a biathlete who can be maybe the „new Kaisa” among the men: Ahti Toivanen!

BFH: Ahti, please tell us a small summary of the season! Your best WC position is your career was in this winter (33rd place, Östersund sprint) and you qualified yourself several times for the pursuit. Altogether are you happy with these results?

Ahti: Yes start of season was good but then it went downhill.. In oberhof i was sick and it too time to recover even thought it was ok in ruhpolding and antholtz. WCH then was catastrophe for our team! didn't find skies/grinding/waxing for skies and it was horrible result even though i had the best feeling in my body the whole season. Rest of season i was pretty much sick -> no any results

BFH: Two years ago in the Junior WCH in Nove Mesto you were almost on the podium – when do you think a same result is possible for you in the World Cup races?

Ahti: Nowadays races are thought and many can do well so it needs very good day to get top.. But I think if everything goes well and stay healthy maybe next season after olympics some podium.. but you never know what happens in biathlon so sometimes with luck you can get podium

BFH: In the next season there is Sochi and the Olympic Games, then in 2015 home World Championships in Kontiolahti. Which is more important for you?

Ahti: Maybe Sochi comes little bit too early for me but ofcourse i want make good results there. Kontiolahti isn't so hard track and quite small margins in skiing time so i think can make even top results there Been training in kontiolahti many years and many friends come to watch so it would be super to do good results there..

BFH: Please tell us a few words about the biathlon’s popularity in Finland! Still behind ice-hockey, ski jumping and cross country I guess…

Ahti: It has been increasing now after Kaisa's success but quite minor still... Even in joensuu most attention goes to icehockey, basketball and floorball... But now atleast people now what biathlon is !!

BFH: What are you doing at the moment? Did your preparation start for the new season?

Ahti: Yes, preparation for next season has started with the first A-team camp.

BFH: Finally, we would like to ask you send some special message to the Hungarian biathlon fans! We want to tell everybody that this is the most beautiful sport in the world, do you agree?

Ahti: Yes, biathlon is very demanding sport but very fun The athmosphere is amasing in competitions, thanks to all (crazy) fans!! So keep it up and hope we make it even bigger sport

Thank you for your answers and we wish you good preparation for the Olympic season!

(In the photo we are together with Ahti, Jarkko and Mari in Bled.)