The Biathlon World Championships are already underway in Switzerland. Meanwhile, a 21-year-old Norwegian sits at home—an athlete who would have been a guaranteed pick for nearly any other national team.

The level of competition in Norwegian men’s biathlon is so high that the federation could easily field an entirely separate World Championships team filled with medal contenders in every event.

Just a few weeks ago, in the European Championships relay, the Norwegian biathletes dominated their competition. Across four legs, they needed just one spare round, and they crossed the finish line with a winning margin of over two minutes.

Had Norway’s anchor leg, Isak Frey, not stopped briefly to be photographed as he left the shooting range—after hitting all ten targets—the gap would have been even bigger.

“It was fun,” said the 21-year-old from Bærum Skiklub, who is technically still in his final year as a junior and a newcomer to the national development team this season.

An Extraordinary Talent

Isak Frey now has two fresh European Championship gold medals in his trophy case, from just his second senior-level championship. He has won eight international races and stood on the IBU Cup podium 15 times this season. He currently leads the overall IBU Cup standings by nearly 300 points, ahead of four other Norwegians.

How did this happen?
“It’s all happened quickly. We train well on the development team. I have great teammates, and our coach, Anders (Hennum), is really good. So, I’ve taken another small step forward this year,” Frey said modestly to Langrenn.com.

Last year, Frey won three gold medals and one silver at the Junior World Championships, in addition to two European Championship golds, a bronze, and five IBU Cup podiums, including two victories.

Have you always been this good?
“Uh… yeah, pretty much,” said Frey, who started biathlon when he was around eight to ten years old.

He quickly realized that biathlon was his calling.

“I did both cross-country skiing and biathlon for a long time, but when it came time to go all-in on one, the choice was easy.”

Read More: Breakthrough at 25 – Now making her World Championships debut

Dreaming of a World Cup Debut

The Biathlon World Championships are happening now—without Frey. Now, he dreams of making his World Cup debut for Norway.

But despite his impressive achievements this season and last, there’s no guarantee he’ll get the opportunity. The level of competition in the Norwegian men’s team is so intense that even being good enough for a World Cup podium isn’t necessarily enough. Frey also needs some of the current national team members to underperform for a spot to open up.

“It’s really tough to break into that squad,” he admitted.

However, with Johannes Thingnes Bø and his older brother Tarjei Bø retiring after this season, two spots on the elite national team will be up for grabs. Whether Frey claims one of them remains to be seen.

For Frey, Johannes Thingnes Bø is a major role model and inspiration. He believes the sport will feel different without him.

“Johannes Thingnes Bø has been the biggest star for as long as I’ve been in biathlon—both him and Tarjei. It’ll be strange without them. I hope I get to race in the World Cup Final in Holmenkollen when they compete in their last races before retiring. It would be fun to see how I measure up. I haven’t had many chances to race against them.”

How big is the gap between you and them?
“It’s hard to say. But Martin Uldal, who was just slightly ahead of me at the start of the season, already has a World Cup victory. The margins are small at this level. The challenge is getting an opportunity and making the most of it.”

The Biathlon World Championships are being held in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, from February 12–23. The World Cup Final in Holmenkollen takes place from March 21–23, featuring sprint, pursuit, and mass start races.

FACTS Lenzerheide Biathlon World Championships Season 2024/2025

• When: Wednesday, February 12 to Sunday, February 23, 2025 
• Who: Elite national biathletes – women and men
• Where: Lenzerheide, Switzerland
• What: IBU World Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland