The 24-year-old from Birkenes stormed into the World Cup, won on his third attempt, and secured a spot on the Norwegian World Cup team. Now he’s aiming for the Olympics, but the biathlon national team coach says there’s one thing he must do differently.

After two seasons on the IBU Cup circuit, Martin Uldal joined the World Cup team from the sidelines in December, shot like a tornado, and claimed a World Cup victory on his third try. Now, he’s one of six men on Norway’s elite team and is setting the bar sky-high for the upcoming biathlon season.

He says he feels both lucky and proud to be where he is now.

A Career That Took Off Like a Rocket

“I had ambitions to win a World Cup race, and I managed to do that. The hardest part is getting into the World Cup in the first place. I missed a chance at the start of the season. Still, then I got another opportunity and made it to Hochfilzen in December,” Uldal told the International Biathlon Union (IBU) and Langrenn.com.

The young athlete seized the moment, and everything took off from there.

“What happened before Christmas was a really cool experience. That whole journey was just a lot of fun,” he says, and continues:

“I went to Hochfilzen to do my best, but I honestly thought I’d be sent back to the IBU Cup. I didn’t think a seventh place in the sprint and fifth in the pursuit would be enough to get another shot.”

But it was. His lightning-fast 12.9-second final standing shooting left commentators, competitors, and the national team staff stunned, even with one missed shot.

The following weekend, Uldal repaid the trust by winning the sprint in Annecy with two perfect shooting rounds, claiming his first World Cup victory.

Also Read – Biathlon World Cup: Martin Uldal wins 10km sprint in Annecy – Le Grand Bornand

By March, the youngster from Birkenes ranked 11th overall in the World Cup and was named Rookie of the Year by the International Biathlon Union (IBU).

Now, he wants to go to the Olympics.

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Stern Warning: Needs to Take More Time on the Range

Not everyone is equally impressed. Over the summer, Uldal has worked closely with shooting coach Siegfried Mazet, who has a bone to pick with the speedy talent: He needs to take more time to actually hit the targets, says the veteran coach on the Norwegian national team.

Uldal’s hit rates are 94.17% (prone) and 78.33% (standing) — still a way off from World Cup winner Sturla Holm Lægreid, who boasts 97.14% and 89.71%, respectively.

“Siegfried wants to make me a better shooter. I need to learn to be a bit more patient and actually hit the targets. Once I manage that, I’ll be free to do things my own way,” says Uldal, and reveals a personal dream:

“To break the 12-second barrier.”

In the single mixed relay in Pokljuka in March, Uldal hit all five targets in 12.5 seconds.

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Finally Got a Solid Training Block

Uldal credits his winter breakthrough to solid training over the summer.

“I was able to train very well. The previous season, I had a bit of trouble, a lot of illness, and I felt like I wasn’t making any progress. But last summer, things really clicked,” Uldal tells and elaborates:

“I didn’t really change much — I just managed to do more of the same. I could handle more training and became more robust, so I increased the volume and made some solid gains.”

Now, Martin Uldal has big plans for the coming winter.

“I want to go to the Olympics. If I want to have a long and successful career, I need to get there now. I feel the pressure, even though it’s still a while away. I’m young, and it won’t be the end of the world if I don’t make it — but that’s what I really want.”

He’s already done the most challenging part: earning a place on the Norwegian elite national team. But the narrowest eye of the needle still lies ahead — not everyone on the team will get to go to the Olympics, and a hungry B-team is right behind them, pushing hard.

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