Farewell to Champions: My Week at the Biathlon World Cup Finals
From World Cup drama to cultural exploration in Norway's vibrant capital. How a spontaneous trip became an unforgettable sporting and cultural adventure.
I’m not meant to be a travel blogger, you’re probably reading this newsletter expecting the training content or the race insights that I’m used to sharing on “Off The Range” but for 6 days at the end of march I was in Oslo, first for the IBU Biathlon World Cup final and secondly for three days of running around the town discovering everything it has to offer.
This newsletter chronicles my journey through three distinct parts of my Oslo adventure: planning and arriving in Norway's capital, experiencing the thrilling conclusion of the biathlon World Cup season, and exploring Oslo's cultural offerings as a tourist. Whether you're interested in winter sports, travel logistics, or Scandinavian culture, I hope you'll find something valuable in this recounting of my Norwegian journey.
PART 1: PLANNING & ARRIVAL
Planning a trip to Oslo came with its challenges - from finding affordable flights to securing event tickets and accommodation. Follow my journey from initial decision to arrival in Norway, including an unexpected invitation to speak at the IBU's first-ever "Biathlon Partner Summit" on sustainability.
Sorting everything out
When I talk to a lot of my friends about this trip, they all think I’ve been before, to race (Norway being the home of Nordic sports) and that I’m just returning to watch some biathlon races, but that is not the case. I’ve never been to Norway before, and as a matter of fact, I’ve never been to any Scandinavian country before. The northernmost point I’ve stayed at is either up north in Scotland or back last year when I was in Estonia for the Junior World Championships. This is a new adventure for me, and I was excited before leaving. This is a trip I’ve been wanting to make for years now. Oslo is beautiful, or so I’d heard, and it was also home to this year’s final stage of the Biathlon World Cup. Once I knew I wasn’t going to be racing at the IBU Cup Finals, I knew this would be the perfect occasion for me to go. But still, it took me a while to actually get the flights booked, why? Lots of procrastination. In the end, as soon as I found out that the Bø Brothers were retiring and that my good friend Jeanne would be fighting for the blue jerseys (Best U23 Athlete), I had to go, and I booked my flights.
Traveling is never cheap but after deep analysis of everything available (and I mean properly everything, I went as far as building a full excel sheet comparing all the available flights on various days that each airline would offer) I found a great round trip from Geneva to Oslo with SWISS for just under 160€. This was an amazing price and if I wanted to take my skis I could add them for a small fee.
Accommodation, however, wasn’t that cheap. I had tried to convince some of my friends to join me on the trip, but either they weren't available or not interested. This would've been helpful because splitting an Airbnb with other people is really cost-effective, especially if you don’t eat out all the time. No one replied positively to my request, therefore, I decided to find a hostel to stay at just outside the centre of town. BunksatRode, it was quite a modern hostel, 41€ a night, but there were only small cooking facilities, a sink and a couple of microwaves, so it looked like I’d be eating out a lot.
The final thing I needed for my trip was actual tickets to the biathlon itself because travailing to the event is a good start but actually having tickets should maybe of come before booking the flights and the accommodation, especially as Jeanne had already given away her family tickets and as soon as the Bø’s announced their retirement the event sold out so my chances where getting slimmer and slimmer. Luckily, after a quick back and forth with the IBU, I was able to get my hands on an event accreditation, so an even better solution.
First time in Norway
The World Cup started on a Friday with races each day during the weekend. I was in La Plagne from Monday to Wednesday and had to be back in France for the French Biathlon Championships by next Thursday, which left me a perfect 5-day window to travel. Even with this short travel slot, I still wanted to be as sustainable as possible with how I was getting around. The first step to this was a quick trip down to my nearest train station in Thonon-les-Bains to hop on the Léman Express Train to Geneva I then took a second train from the center station to the airport, this was very efficient and only cost 5 euros so much cheaper and easier than driving to the airport. I was only travelling with hand luggage but I packed my bag to it’s absolute limit which meant it was massive and would struggle to fit in the overhead lockers but I good tip for anyone flying is to ask at the check in desk to check the bag in, they often say yes because it’s easier for them and then you don’t have to worry about your bag travelling through the airport.
My flights from GVA to OSL went well. There were a dozen other people on board the plane also going to Oslo for the World Cup, either from the French ski federation or the Belgian one, so I wasn’t alone. Next up, was getting from the airport to my hostel and as you head for the train station at the airport there are loads of signs indicating the FLYGET express service to the center of town, it’s weird because there's also a regional train that goes from the airport to Oslo and it only takes two extra minutes so definitely avoid the express service because it’s a lot more expensive and no more practical. Once in town, I found my tram and made my way to where I was staying. The hostel was very nice and clean, but as I previously said, it didn’t have any kitchen equipment, so I had to head back out to find something to eat; this is when I realised just how expensive Norway is. Everything I was finding on Google Maps was over 20 euros, all I wanted was a quick bite before going to bed and being ready for the first day of racing. I finally landed on an Asian Cuisine place called “East Kitchen”, where I had an amazing plate of noodles. I would recommend checking the translation of Norwegian words, though, because I only read Porc and Noodles and left out the part where the menu said Extra Spicy, just a heads up for your next travels!
Didn’t know this was a work trip
I was up bright and early on my first day in Oslo, and for a very good reason. The races only started later in the afternoon, but I had an unexpected but very interesting opportunity that was presented to me a couple of days before arriving in Oslo. The International Biathlon Union were running their first ever “Biathlon Partner Summit” in Oslo before the race weekend started, and the theme of one of the conferences on that Friday morning was Engaging Athletes in Driving Sustainable Partnerships for Brands. This is a subject I’m deeply invested in, especially through my work as an IBU Sustainability Ambassador, and since I was in Oslo during this summit, I was able to head up on stage and speak.
I was up on stage with Riikka, who is the Head of Strategy, Sustainability & Governance at the IBU and the President of the Swedish Biathlon Federation. We discussed the importance of effective and meaningful sustainability practices in our sport. But also how crucial it is for all stakeholders to be aligned in their efforts to grow our sport and prepare for the challenges we face in the future, especially with the significant issues related to climate change and winter sports. I also got the opportunity to listen to the rest of the talks that were held that morning before joining everyone under the VIP tent, and what a VIP experience this was.
I’ve been to a couple of VIP areas at major sporting events before, but this was by far the grandest experience I’d seen before. We were all welcomed by the organising committee under this massive tent just beside the Holmenkollen Ski Jumping platform, where a massive buffet was awaiting us for lunch. Traditional Norwegian dishes were served, and even though I could have continued eating all day long, there was something much more important to get to: biathlon sprints !!
PART 2: WORLD CUP WEEKEND
The biathlon World Cup finals delivered unforgettable sporting moments - from the nail-biting battle for the crystal globe between Lou Jeanmonnot and Franziska Preuß to the legendary Bø brothers' emotional retirement. Experience the atmosphere, drama, and community of elite biathlon competition through my perspective as both athlete and spectator.
Sprints to start the week off
I‘d never seen biathlon sprints before, well not live world cup ones that is, so I was very excited to see this format from so close. I was in the smaller grandstand opposite the main grandstand because I joined up with some of the other people from the summit. There were people from all backgrounds in the stands around me, from finance to e-sports, but all with a common passion for winter sports and biathlon. It was an amazing group of people to watch the races with. As a biathlete myself, I have a reasonable amount of knowledge on my sport, but oh my, some people know so much more about my sport than I do. It was very interesting to listen to everyone’s different points of view, either on the race formats, the fan experience at races or at home watching on TV and using the official IBU App. Many ideas and constructive conversations that, in the grand scheme of things, are much more valuable than the more official talks at the summit (but anybody who's already attended such events knows that already)
Anyway, back to racing. Thrilling race as usual, but with a not-so-thrilling podium if you are a French fan because the Norwegians finished 1-2-3-4-5. Yeah, you read that right, quintuplé as we say in France in their home race. The race was won, however, by what would turn out to be biathlon legend Johannes Boe's final ever race win. Back to the tent for a snack and then straight back out for the women’s sprint. This is when the real racing started because all through this weekend, we were witnessing the nailbiting battle between the first two ladies on the overall classification, Lou Jeanmonnot Laurent and Franziska Preuß. A battle that spanned all season long and would come to an end after this weekend’s three races.
You can’t make up what happened next (just a heads up, all weekend was just as amazing as this race, so stick along). Franziska started 5 bibs before Lou, so she would be without any information on what was happening with her competitor, but that wasn’t a problem for her at all. 5/5 on the first prone, followed by the same 5/5 for Lou. It all comes down to the standing, but again, both girls shot clean. The stadium is going crazy, and the people around me are all wondering who will come out on top at the finish line. I felt something I had never felt before watching these sprints. I’ve only seen group start races where generally both competitors can see the gap between each other, but here in an individual start, this isn’t the case. And it wasn’t the case for us in the grandstands either. 6 seconds was the gap Lou had to catch in the last loop, and by the last 800m, the gap was down to less than 2.5 seconds. Franziskas’ finishing straight was immense, but Lou was skiing fast, so we all thought she’d finish in front. As she approached the line, you could see the seconds counting down fast and then bam, the split showed up, it was positive, and Lou was 0.2 seconds behind. Gutted (I’m French, I’m for Lou).
I headed back to the VIP tent with my colleagues from the summit. We sat down and listened to Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold and Johannes Böe, who popped by the tent to give some speeches to the people attending in the VIP section. It was amazing to be able to listen to Johannes for one last time up close before he retired at the end of the weekend. I then hopped back on the metro and headed back down to town. It was a very long and exhausting day, off to bed early because the weekend was only just getting started.
Pursuits to keep the tension at its maximum
My Saturday started with a big, long run around the Maridalsvannet Lake situated just north of Oslo. 23 km in just under 2 hours to properly wake you up and get ready for the big day to come. The pursuits were about to be amazing, close combat between the female athletes for the globe, and the Norwegian legend starting off the men’s race, what more could we ask for? I chose to watch today’s races from the side of the piste among all the fans in the standing zones so I’d get a chance de witness the atmosphere from as close as possible.
The Holmenkollen stadium had two large standing fans zones, one offered an amazing view on the last steep climb before the stadium and the second one you got to see the athletes numerous times and also had a good view of the stadium and the shooting range. Both had an amazing atmosphere and partying fans from as soon as the zones opened to deep into the night. After a busy metro ride up to the stadium, I met up with some friends and racing athlete family members who had also flown over from the region I live in to watch the races. We decided to watch the men’s race from the Haugen zone, which gave us a view of the final hill. It was so impressive to watch the racers fly by and race up this incredibly steep hill. On TV, the camera is generally right at the top, facing down, and you struggle to catch how quickly everyone is actually going.
The men’s race went by really fast with Sturla Laegreid shooting clean and beating Johannes Boe to the line, who, despite three misses, still finished less than 15 seconds behind. It was also extremely fun to watch athletes like Johannes Dale and Isak Frey fight for some of the best spots during the race, because just two months back, I was 6th at the flower ceremony next to both of them whilst I was racing in Germany. The vibes up this hill were outstanding, every nation cheering on for every athlete out there, from the top three to the last three who raced up each time! We also got a Frenchman on the podium, so it was an amazing start to the day.
We switched up our cheering zone for the women's race, hoping to get a little closer to the action. Kapellskogen is the name of a chapel situated on the top part of the racing loop in Holmenkollen. Here we were right next to the post and got to see our favourite racers up close. And because I was sitting with Jeanne Richard and Camille Beneds’ close family, it wasn’t hard to choose who we were focusing our cheering on. Both girls had amazing races with Camille even fighting for the podium in her second-ever World Cup race, but sadly, after missing two on the final standing, she finished 15th just behind Jeanne in 12th. For the fight for the overall globe, Franziska came home in 5th, less than 30 seconds behind Lou, who brilliantly won the race. This meant that coming into the final day of racing after a whole season of racing, there was less than 5 points between them.
After the races, I rushed back down into Oslo to meet up with two great friends of mine who had been studying abroad not too far away in Sweden since September. It was great to meet up with them and head out to enjoy some of the nightlife in Oslo. I also joined up with lots of the athletes who had made the cut for the mass starts on Sunday, and we all partied through most of the night in the vibrant Norwegian capital.
Sunday, you will never be forgotten
After quite a long night in Oslo, I wasn’t the earliest up on Sunday for the final day of racing of the season, but this didn’t hide the fact that this Sunday would, by the time it finished, shape biathlon history in a way no one could have predicted. A little bit of context: today, we were going to see the final final fight of the amazing crystal globe battle that has been the main storyline throughout this whole biathlon season. Franziska Preuß and Lou Jeanmonnot, who, after 21 individual races this year, were only separated by 5 small points. This meant that whoever finished in front today during the mass start would win the overall globe. Our second big fight was between Océane Michelon and Jeanne Richard, both girls fighting for the blue bib for the best U23. Jeanne had held this bib during most of the winter, but after two good races, Océane was right behind Jeanne, in the battle for the blue bib. Océane had to beat Jeanne by at least 20 points to win.
Finally, after over 15 years of international racing, Johannes Boe and his older brother Tarjei Boe would retire from the sport after this afternoon’s men’s mass starts. Two legends of the sport, who have shaped biathlon for years to come, would say goodbye to the biathlon family, at home surrounded by their wives and kids, but also the amazing home crowd that had come out to watch the Boe brothers race for one final time.
I would witness this amazing day of racing sitting by my two friends whom I’d met up with the previous night, they had made their way up to the stadium much before me and therefore had saved a seat next to them in the main grandstand facing the shooting range. I’d like to say they were some of the best seats in the house, an outstanding view, in the sun all day and surrounded by die-hard biathlon spectators and fans. The race program had changed today, and instead of the women racing last, they would go first so that the Boe brothers would have an amazing farewell send-off after their last race later on in the afternoon.
As the women started lining up for their start, you could feel the tension rising around the grandstands, we had witnessed one of the most amazing crystal global battles for the womens overall in a long time and for it to come down to the final race of the year was a dream come true for any fan, suspense up until the final race. The gun went and off they were for the 12,5km women’s mass start. After the first two prone shooting, both Lou and Franziska were battling it out up the front of the race, sitting in 4th and 2nd respectively, with less than 8 seconds separating them. Both women continued racing together before entering the final standing side by side in lanes two and three; they were surrounded by Elvira Öberg in lane one and Océane Michelon, who had put in an amazing race in lane 4.
Silence…
All of Oslo seemed to shut down for the 6-10 seconds before the first bullets left the barrels. Hundreds of hours of training, 20 races had happened before this one, and everything was coming down to the last 5 shots. You could feel the pressure that they were facing from the grandstands, and as a biathlete myself, I couldn’t imagine being in their position, having to take these 5 bullets. But they are the best biathletes in the world, and this challenge didn’t scare them because they both shot clean. As they left the shooting range, there was 1.2 seconds between them. You couldn't dream of an even crazier scenario. The crystal globe would be decided on this last lap around the Holmenkollen Biathlon Stadium.
What a last lap it was. It was a little like watching a cycling race coming into the final sprint. Both girls were looking at each other. No one wanted to make their move. So much that Elvira, who exited the shooting range less than 20 seconds behind them, caught them pretty much as soon as the lap started. As they approached the final climb, where I watched the men's race on the Saturday, they were neck and neck. Lou was the one to make what everyone thought would be the decisive move. She accelerated, but Franziska was right behind her and kept the gap. As they went up the final hill, back down the short, flat section before entering the stadium, they were side by side. And then it happened. Everyone was cheering, and all of a sudden, silence.
Lou had hit the ground on the final bend before entering the stadium.
Devastated.
Everyone was devastated. Everyone was hoping for this amazing fight down the last finishing straight, with both athletes side by side, sprinting for the crystal globe. But no. Lou had made a mistake. She tripped herself up, and Franziska flew down into the stadium, through the finishing straight, winning and claiming the overall crystal globe. This wasn't how anybody wanted this last lap to go. Everyone was hoping for an on-track fight, but sadly, Lou fell, and in the end, the best athlete of the year won the race.
This wasn't the only race out on track because the blue bib was still all to play for. And after Océane missed one on her last shoot and Jeanne missed two, we thought it would all be over for Jeanne. But in the end, it was much closer than we thought because Océane crossed the finishing line in 4th, claiming one of her best results of the year, and Jeanne came home in 15th. We were straight out onto our calculators trying to find out who would be in the lead, and in the end, Oceane came out on top with less than five points in it. Devastating for my friends and I because Jeanne is one of our best friends, and we were all rooting for her. But Oceane put in such an amazing performance, and she deserved to win this bib more than anybody else.
Goodbye biathlon legends
After everyone slowly digested what had happened in the women’s race, it was time to switch to celebrating the two biathlon brothers. The crystal globe was already in the hands of Sturla Lagreid, the red bib for the mass start globe as well, and Campbell Wright had a firm grip on the blue bib. This race was perfect for celebrating the sporting careers of Johannes and Tarjei Boe. These are two athletes whom I’ve looked up to during my racing as well. Johannes, during his many years battling it out against the French legend Martin Fourcade and Tarjei, for his resilience and persistence in the sport despite his age, Tarjei was able to win a race during his first year on the world cup and then also won this year during his final season as a biathlon competitor.
After a thrilling race won by the Swede Sebastian Samuelsson just in front of the Frenchman and future biathlon great (I hope) Éric Perrot. Everyone hoped for the Boe brothers to podium during their final race on the circuit, but it was just too much. 4 mistakes by Johannes had him finishing 40 seconds back in 7th, and Tarjei came home in 23rd. As both athletes came into the stadium after their final laps, everyone stood up and clapped, clapping to celebrate the end of their races but also clapping to celebrate their amazing careers and the impact they have had on the biathlon family.
As they crossed the finish line, they were handed great long red robes, and dressed as kings with a beautiful golden crown on each of their heads. They took their time talking to each media outlet for many minutes and spending a lot of time with the other athletes in the finishing area, appreciating the moment. They then went round the course for one final time, where I got the chance to see them up close in their king’s outfit. They were thanking everyone who had stayed after the race to celebrate their performances. We stayed in the grandstands for a good 3 hours after the end of the race, just soaking up the moment and appreciating what an amazing weekend of racing we had just witnessed. My two friends then left me, and I headed into the athlete zone to meet up with some of my racing friends.
The atmosphere in the biathlon family as the season comes to an end is really special, all these competitors who all season long are fighting against each other in such fears battles on the track come together to celebrate what an amazing winter they have just finished. What happens next isn’t a surprise to anyone; it involves alcohol, some music and a lot of dancing, but that’s enough for the newsletter.
PART 3: EXPLORING OSLO
With the competition concluded, I spent three days exploring Oslo's museums, parks, architecture, and more. From the striking sculptures of Vigelandsparken to the impressive Fram polar exploration vessel, join me as I transform from biathlon fan to "professional tourist" in one of Scandinavia's most vibrant capitals.
Becoming a professional tourist
You know what’s cool when you live in a 5-star ski resort tourist destination, you see tourists day in and day out, and you get inspiration from them for what not to do when it’s your time on holiday. Only joking, I love the holiday makers where I live, and I love travelling to new destinations myself to experience the tourist lifestyle every now and again. After three days cheering on the best biathletes in the world, it was time for my holiday; I had three more days in Oslo to visit as many attractions as possible.
After a late Sunday night, I wasn’t up very early on Monday, but as soon as I was, I was straight out for a morning shakeout run around Oslo again. Running is truly the best way to wake up in the morning, it gets you going and ready for your day straight away. I didn’t have much planned for my first free day, mainly because all the museums and attractions in Oslo seemed to be closed on Mondays, so this meant I had to find the most free activities to do around town. My first stop was visiting the Vigelandsparken and all the naked sculptures by Gustav Vigeland. These granite, bronze and wrought iron sculptures represent Gustav's life work, with many of his most famous pieces being displayed in this park. Some of the coolest ones I found were from the main bridge, where you can spot The Angry Boy, or the gates leading to the monolith are really quite interesting as well.
I then ended up visiting the craziest library I had ever seen before Deichman Bjorvika. I had seen this online, and I was telling myself I wouldn’t visit a bookstore, but this did not disappoint. As soon as I walked in, I could see the crazy architecture and engineering that went into this building. Many different shapes with very distinct angles. Three large light shafts cut diagonally through the building from each entrance, culminating in skylights that flood the interior with daylight. The bold fusion of raw materiality and futuristic design, where exposed concrete, dramatic cantilevers, and cascading light shafts create a space that feels both industrial and ethereal. Its angular forms and open-plan layout invite movement and connection, turning the traditional library experience into something spatially dynamic and socially alive. Sitting on the top floor, picking up a book, and being able to look out over Oslo while working or reading was an incredible experience. I came here on Monday, then returned Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning for more reading and work. The atmosphere was amazing each time, full of energy, with the building buzzing with students.
This concluded my first day of tourism in Oslo. I headed out to the Barcode Project food court for the evening to find some more very expensive, not very filling Greek food. So much that I then had to head into one of the tiny supermarket stalls, which you find scattered absolutely everywhere around the town, selling hot dogs. I had to order up two more hot dogs to fill my needs for the day, if not I felt like I was going to starve to death that evening. The food court was very nice, different vibe, but just overpriced.
Big exploration ships and national art
On the Tuesday, I had a massive day of visiting museums planned, after everything had been closed on Monday. I had a big list of things I wanted to get through. First up, I was on the tram heading all the way out to the Frammuseet. It was quite a long trip out of town, mainly because we had to go to one of the small bits of land just south of Oslo.
This museum was really interesting. We got to learn all about the different Fram expeditions, each scientist and explorer, their crews, and the different things they achieved. There were also lots of mini models of the exploration boats and ships. And one of the actual Fram ships is also on display in the museum, which I thought was really cool. Learning about all the history of travelling to the Arctic peaks was extremely interesting, and it’s definitely a museum I’d recommend if you’re visiting Oslo. What really stood out was how immersive it all felt; you could actually go inside the Fram ship itself and walk around the decks where the crew once lived and worked. The way they’ve preserved the ship and filled it with historical details makes it feel like you’re stepping back in time. There were also interactive exhibits, videos, and stories that gave a real sense of how extreme and dangerous those polar expeditions were. It wasn’t just a museum; it felt like a real adventure into the history of exploration.
I was then back in the centre of town to visit probably the most famous museum in Oslo, which is, of course, the National Museum. Nationalmuseet, I think they say in Norwegian. This was also an amazing experience. Just getting to the museum, you pass by the Nobel Peace Centre, which I sadly didn’t visit, but it’s definitely on my list if I come back to Oslo. One of the first things that struck me was the architecture of the museum itself. From the outside, it’s this bold, modern structure, very sleek and geometric, a bit like the library I visited the day before. It really stands out against the rest of the city and sets the tone before you even step inside. Once inside, you go through all kinds of art, from older works to much more modern pieces, using a wide range of techniques. It’s hard to describe, because art is art and it’s all very subjective, but it was definitely worth the visit, and I remember quite a few of the rooms I walked through. Another must-see if you’re visiting Oslo. There were also a couple of very famous pieces on display, including Edvard Munch’s The Scream and a self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh.
I finished off my day by walking through the Aker Brygge part of Oslo, a brand-new, very modern district with some incredible architecture. I think you really get the vibe here. It’s bold, stylish, and right by the water, with huge, impressive buildings that feel both cutting-edge and inviting. I found it quite amazing; very modern, very spacious, and just a cool area to wander through. There’s also art scattered throughout the district, sculptures and installations you’ll come across as you walk, blending public space with creativity in a really thoughtful way. It was definitely worth seeing, even though I walked through it fairly briskly. After that, I was back out looking for food, and I came across a burrito spot. It was really good, super spicy, and exactly what I needed to finish off the day.
History and military to finish
My final day in Oslo started with a running track session preparing for a project which I'll talk about in a future newsletter, but you'll soon find out about what it was. This took up most of the morning, and because I was flying later that evening, I had to find some things to visit which were quite close to the centre of town, not to take up too much time. I ended up visiting the military base, which is free to visit, in the centre of Oslo. And I then proceeded to go to the Norwegian Armed Forces Museum, the Forsvarsmuseet, a history museum which I found very interesting despite there not being many English translations. There were loads of guns on display, which I'm a big fan of, coming from a shooting sport. Then I was also able to see loads of mini models of battleships and big naval battles, which were animated and displayed in the museum, which was very, very cool. You definitely need a fully charged phone and Google Translate to be able to go through the Armed Forces Museum, because if not, you will struggle to learn anything.
This concluded my Oslo trip because after having walked through my final museum, it was back off to the main train station at Oslo Centrum and on the regional express line number 10 heading to Lillehammer with a stop at the Oslo airport. Nothing to complain about, all the transport systems worked well throughout my whole trip to Oslo, and I was really happy because it just makes travelling so much easier. To finish off my trip, I got a very pleasant surprise when I started boarding my Air Brussels flight because we were on one of the few fully custom livery planes which exist in the world, and this one was an Air Brussels “We Fly You To The Home Of Tomorrowland” livery. Being a big fan of electronic music, this was a very cool experience. I had never been in a custom-wrapped plane before.
This concludes my Oslo trip. After the highs and lows of biathlon and three full-on days of exploring the streets of Oslo, I was more than happy to fly home and get some rest before my final competitions at the French Championships, which kicked off just two days after I got back.
I had such an amazing time visiting the Norwegian capital. It definitely makes me want to come back and compete at the highest level of my sport on the World Cup circuit. Watching so many incredible athletes up close and seeing them push themselves to the limit was truly inspiring. The camaraderie and the sense of community in the biathlon world is something special, there’s nothing else quite like it.
Thank you to everyone who stuck with me through this massive newsletter entry. It’s more of a blog, really; a bit of a diary from my time in Oslo. If you made it to the end, feel free to leave a like, a comment, share it around, and subscribe. I’ll be back very soon with more newsletters; shorter ones, much shorter, promise.