Filip Andersen is one of the young wild ones in the Norwegian biathlon team. After some successes in the IBU Cup, the young Norwegian was able to fight his way into the World Cup squad and surprisingly achieved third place in the sprint at the French World Cup in Annecy last year. We talked to him about his biathlon beginnings and goals.
How did you start with biathlon, did you do any other sports before that?
When I was little I did many sports like soccer, cycling and cross-country skiing but at that time there was no possibility to do biathlon where we lived. Then when I was ten years old we moved to Geilo and then my brother and I started biathlon. Our father was a waxman in the Norwegian biathlon team, so we already had good contacts and also wanted to do biathlon and therefore had very good conditions. I think I did the first real biathlon with cross-country skiing and shooting when I was eleven.
What are your goals for next season?
My goal for the season is to establish myself at the top of the World Cup and to get my first World Cup victory. Then of course I want to qualify for the World Championships in Oberhof and do some good races there.
How was your summer?
My preparation in the summer was very good. I had good training sessions stayed healthy, that was the most important thing. We had Norwegian championships on roller skis, which was really good for me. In the mass start it was not so good, but in the sprint I won the gold medal. So I think I am in good shape to be successful this season.
Fotos: K.Voigt Fotografie