Sturla Holm Lægreid was not to be seen at Wednesday’s training in Le Grand-Bornand.
National team manager Per Arne Botnan confirms to NRK that the Norwegian biathlon star did not feel in top form.
– He considered whether he should train or not, but then he ended up standing over today so that he has one more day to go. We are betting that he will be in training tomorrow, says Botnan.
Seven men had been selected for the biathlon races in France, but on Wednesday only four trained.
– It’s just boring. We want to field strong men here with healthy and fast athletes who are full of energy, but there is something fundamentally wrong with what we are doing, because I have rarely seen the likes of this, says an illness-free Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen to NRK.
Martin Uldal has been sent home from the assembly. Isak Leknes Frey has also been struggling with a cold, but he is scheduled to arrive in France on Thursday.
Illness has marked the Norwegian team at the start of the season. In Östersund, Johan-Olav Botn felt discomfort, while in Hochfilzen Sivert Bakken had to stand down.
– We are not satisfied with that. I think we are pretty good overall, but we have tightened up a little extra now with even more precautions, says Botnan.
The national team has now introduced stricter requirements for face masks in all settings where there are many people gathered.
They have also divided the men, women and support staff into different cohorts.
– We are in pandemic 2.0. Now it’s just a matter of surviving here until Sunday, and then I’m guessing everyone will be caught, says Johannes Dale-Skjevdal with a smile, who has so far managed to stay healthy.
This week’s biathlon starts with the women’s sprint on Thursday. You can watch it on NRK1 from 2.15pm.