After one year on the Norwegian biathlon national team, the Junior World Champion has had enough. Now, the 19-year-old is going solo.

He is considered one of the world’s greatest biathlon talents and was the top performer at the Junior World Championships this winter, where he claimed two golds, one silver, and two fourth-place finishes. Still, it was a letdown for the Norwegian Kasper Kalkenberg compared to 2024, when he took three golds and two silvers.

Now he’s leaving the Norwegian national team after one year on the U23 squad.

Lack of Progress and Flexibility

Despite a season filled with strong results, Kalkenberg is not particularly satisfied.

“I’ve been open and honest with them that I’m not 100% happy with how my development has gone this year. I was at a very high physical level last year, but I haven’t improved over the last year. And I think that’s a very bad sign at my age. That means I’m doing something wrong,” he told Langrenn.com.

That’s why Kalkenberg is turning down the national team’s offer after just one year on the U23 team.

“I want to get the most out of the time I put in. That means cutting the sessions I don’t believe in and replacing them with the ones I do. That wasn’t possible with the federation. So, I have more faith in going my own way.”

Kalkenberg describes a rigid program, requiring everyone to attend all joint sessions with no real opportunity for individual adjustments.

“Naturally, that doesn’t work for everyone, and it doesn’t work for quite a few people. I think there should be more room to evaluate what each athlete has done and needs instead of putting everyone into a locked and systematic program,” he says, reflecting on his first season with the national team.

“I want to bring back the sessions I believe in and cut out the ones that give me nothing in return.”

Specifically, this includes harder intensity sessions, a structured altitude training plan, and more consistency in training than he experienced on the national team.

Was it hard to say no to the national team?

“As things turned out, it wasn’t hard at all. I have such a good setup that I would’ve felt more bitter watching it succeed without me. So, the choice was actually easy. The hardest part was telling the coaches. I know they wanted me, so it was tough to say I wasn’t happy with the program.”

Sibling Project

Now, Kasper Kalkenberg is leaving the national team to join a private training project together with his sister Emilie Kalkenberg. His sister, eight years his senior, announced last week that she is also leaving the national team after seven years with the federation.

The two, who both live in Lillehammer, will have former national team coach Roger Grubben on board in their new setup.

Setting the Bar Sky-High

For Emilie, the 2026 Olympics in Milan/Cortina is the main goal. For Kasper, who still has two years left as a junior, it’s the Junior World Championships and gaining more experience at the senior international level.

“I hope to race a good number of IBU Cup events and also get back to the World Cup,” says the Norwegian.

“Since I didn’t develop as much as I expected this year, I’m hoping to take big steps this winter. I have the best people in Norway backing me.”

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