“I simply feel unwanted. It hurts,” says biathlete Karoline Knotten in an interview with the local newspaper, gd.no, in Lillehammer. As is well known, she was surprisingly left out of next year’s Norwegian national team.

Many raised their eyebrows once, even twice, when Karoline Knotten’s name was missing from the Norwegian national team lineup presented ahead of the 2025/2026 Olympic season.

Also Read: The Norwegian Biathlon National Team for 2025/2026

“First, I was shocked, then came the anger. Now I’m just sad,” she tells gd.no.

The news was painful to receive. Her thoughts were spinning, and Karoline went on holiday to Cyprus to get some distance from it all. She admits her phone was buzzing and that many people offered support.

With 14th place overall in last season’s World Cup, she was completely unprepared to be cut from the team.

“The communication from the leadership has been absolutely terrible. I don’t blame anyone other than the coaches,” she tells the local newspaper.

She had some questions about the setup outlined for her toward the Olympics by coach Sverre Huber Kaas and general secretary Morten Aa Djupvik before the teams were selected.

“When the requirement is to commit 100 percent, I want to know what the philosophy is. And why there’s no room for adjustments.”

“I don’t say yes to something without knowing what awaits in the training plan. This is my life. I want to have ownership of what I do and believe in what I’m doing,” she continues.

In Knotten’s eyes, the setup resembles a dictatorship. She’s afraid it will take away curiosity and joy.

“This situation shows that if you are a bit different from the majority, you either have to change yourself or get thrown out headfirst. In my view, that’s a bad signal to all those coming after us.”

Also Read – Biathlon World Cup Season 2024/2025: Final standings after Oslo Holmenkollen

Not a Personal Attack

gd.no also spoke with Norwegian national team coach Sverre Huber Kaas, who emphasized that this is not a personal attack on Karoline Knotten. He says he feels sad hearing that she feels unwanted.

Huber Kaas says the national team leadership had put together a rough training plan that they wanted everyone on the team to fully commit to.

“Our impression was that she couldn’t do that, and that was the reason we chose not to include her.”

“It’s about getting behind it and trusting that all decisions and everything that’s done will be very good for each individual and the entire team. There will always be room for adjustments, but we can’t make those in advance. They need to be created when needed. It’s important to point out that this tightening applies to all the teams,” says Sverre Huber Kaas.

The coach doesn’t want it to be a dictatorship, but he understands that the training framework may be perceived differently by various athletes.

Huber Kaas says Knotten has not wanted to speak with the coaches after the selection, but they are open to dialogue.

Now, Karoline Knotten will pursue her training outside of the Norwegian national team. Roger Grubben will be responsible for her training, and behind the scenes, her mother Ann-Karin and father Ivar play important roles. The plan is set toward the Olympics, altitude training camps are booked, and the 30-year-old is determined to reclaim her place on the national team and be on the starting line when the Olympics begin in Anterselva.

Despite the huge disappointment, the significant financial loss, and the icy relationship with the national team coaches, the motivation is there to fight for medals and podiums in the 2025/2026 season.

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