From two podium finishes to a complete collapse in less than a week. Last season’s breakthrough star cannot understand what is happening and travels home in frustration.

But this time, nothing went according to plan. During the World Cup round in Hochfilzen last weekend, everything was off. Martin Uldal finished 52nd in Friday’s sprint after two missed shots. It was a poor starting position for Saturday’s pursuit, but the 24-year-old started with ambitions of a strong comeback. Instead, it turned into another disappointment.

Midway through the race, Uldal decided to stop. He did not bother to finish.

“I simply didn’t see the point of going to the finish. I was extremely far behind. The standing shooting was absolutely terrible,” Uldal told TV 2.

Also Read: France dominates 12.5km Pursuit in Ridnaun – Val Ridanna

Shocked by the loss of form

Uldal emphasizes that it is not a physical issue.

“My body feels fine.”

At the same time, he admits he is surprised by the weekend and says he cannot understand what went wrong.

“It was a shock. Biathlon swings wildly. It was very good in Östersund, and then it’s crazy how badly it can go here,” he says.

Now, the focus is entirely on resetting ahead of the final World Cup round before Christmas, which takes place in Annecy, where Uldal secured his first-ever World Cup podium.

“I’m going to rest a bit. When I’m standing there shooting, there’s almost zero connection between my head and my finger. It’s like shooting in a dream, a dream where you can’t walk. I think my head needs some rest,” the young Norwegian says.

Holding on to the Olympic dream

Despite the setback, Martin Uldal has not given up on his Olympic dream. He also does not believe that Olympic selection depends solely on the two races in Austria.

“Of course, those were two awful races, but if I deliver again in France, there are suddenly opportunities,” Uldal says.

“It only makes me more motivated to pull myself together.”

Career took off at rocket speed

Looking back at last season, Uldal is clear that it exceeded expectations. His ambitions for this season followed naturally.

“I had ambitions of winning a World Cup race, and I managed to do that. The hardest thing is getting onto the World Cup circuit in the first place. I missed an opportunity at the start of the season, but then I got another chance and made it to Hochfilzen in December,” Uldal told Langrenn.com.

The young athlete seized that opportunity with both hands, and everything took off from there.

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

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

But it was. His shooting time of 12.9 seconds on the final standing stage left commentators, competitors, and the national team management stunned, despite one miss.

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

In March, the athlete from Birkenes stood 11th overall in the World Cup standings and was named Rookie of the Year by the International Biathlon Union (IBU).

In April, he earned a place on the elite national team. He then opened the new season with two second-place finishes at the World Cup opener in Östersund.

Now, Martin Uldal has his sights firmly set on the Olympic Games.

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