The biathlon talent burst onto the world stage two years ago. Last season continued in the same strong fashion. But this season is completely different.

After a difficult season so far, Juni Arnekleiv’s best individual World Cup finish is 20th place. She has been dropped from both the World Cup squad and the World Championships team and is left with more questions than answers. For the first time in her career, the 25-year-old from Dombås is experiencing sustained adversity.

However, last weekend’s European Championships brought a much-needed boost. In the final standing stage of the opening race, Arnekleiv was in contention for the win. A single missed shot cost her the podium, but with 19 hits, she finished as the best Norwegian, celebrating her fifth-place result.

“I’m really happy. I haven’t had a great season this year, so this is a big step up. You always think you could have hit one more target, but I was very close. Now I know that with perfect shooting, I can win, and that hasn’t been the case earlier this year,” Arnekleiv told Langrenn.com after the race.

But how can a fifth place in an open European Championship feel like a triumph for someone who was a regular on the World Cup podium?

From Shooting Star to Setback

Exactly two years ago, the young athlete from Dombås was unexpectedly called up to the Norwegian World Championship squad, straight from an altitude training camp and full of energy.

At just 23 years old, Juni Arnekleiv was brought in as a last-minute replacement for the 2023 World Championships in Oberhof after the Norwegian Biathlon Federation miscalculated the number of athletes they could field.

The next day, she stormed to 12th place in the sprint in her World Championship debut, followed by a 13th-place finish in the pursuit. Three weeks later, in her World Cup debut, she proved it wasn’t a fluke—finishing in the top 15 again and winning a relay.

Last season followed the same trajectory: milestones and successes kept coming. Arnekleiv secured her first two individual World Cup podiums, finished in the top 10 five more times, and ranked 13th overall in the World Cup. She was promoted to the elite national team, and everything pointed straight up.

Then, suddenly, things took a turn.

“I just haven’t had the season this year,” she admitted.

“My mindset is fine, and my shooting has been fairly stable. But physically, it’s been really tough, and I don’t know why,” Arnekleiv told Langrenn.com. She elaborated:

“I can ski in a controlled way and handle ‘moderate-hard’ efforts, but as soon as I try to push on the final lap, I get extreme lactic acid buildup, and my body just shuts down.”

Setbacks During Preparation

Arnekleiv suspects her preseason training may be the culprit.

“I’ve performed well in training camps, but every time I came home, I got sick—small illnesses here and there. It takes a toll on the body, and I had several training interruptions in the fall. The continuity just wasn’t there, especially in the late summer and autumn.”

The results reflect that struggle. After the first World Cup rounds before Christmas, Arnekleiv chose to go home and search for answers. Medical tests found nothing—her bloodwork was fine.

“It’s just that my form is poor, and you can’t fix that in two or three weeks,” she said. Arnekleiv has accepted that she will likely spend the rest of the season on the IBU Cup circuit.

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She hasn’t completely written off the rest of the season but knows her body and fitness need to improve significantly.

“There are four spots and one reserve position for the World Championships, and after that, six World Cup spots to fill. That’s obviously my goal. But I don’t want to race in the World Cup just to be there. I want to get good results,” Arnekleiv said, adding:

“I’ve been on the podium in the World Cup before. I don’t compete just to compete—I want to be in the mix. If my results aren’t good enough, I’ll keep training and come back stronger next season.”

More Determined After Adversity

For Arnekleiv, this challenging season is a new experience, and she is approaching it with a unique mindset.

“I haven’t faced much adversity in my career so far. If this is the year where things don’t go my way, I just have to get through it. I think overcoming challenges will make me stronger, and it’ll be even more rewarding to come back,” she said.

“I’m just more motivated.”

In a week and a half, the Biathlon World Championships will begin—without Juni Arnekleiv. But next year, it’s the Olympics.

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