She felt unwanted and considered quitting. Now Karoline Knotten is striking back with her own initiative – and is signaling a reckoning with the Norwegian national team.

She finished 14th overall in the Biathlon World Cup standings and was the second-best Norwegian woman last season. But after the season, she lost her spot on the Norwegian national team, seemingly because she asked questions.

Karoline Knotten herself says she still doesn’t understand why she was cut and that it hurts to feel unwanted.

Also Read: “I feel unwanted, it hurts!”

Going private

However, since Knotten finished in the World Cup top 15 last season, she is guaranteed a starting spot in the first part of the coming season.

Now, the 30-year-old from Lillehammer has created her own private training team, with her mother and former national team coach Roger Grubben at the helm, as well as her father Iver and brother Haakon in the support crew.

Grubben was also a major reason why Knotten didn’t give up after being dropped.

“If I hadn’t had Roger… I really considered quitting. It’s not fun to feel unwanted. I’ve learned that you can’t make everyone like you. But when it’s your inner circle, it hits harder,” Knotten told TV2.

She admits that pursuing a private setup is expensive, with the need for altitude training and logistical support. But so far, things seem manageable – thanks to her parents and support from private sponsors.

Doubting the setup

Before the national team selection, Knotten said she wanted to reflect after being presented with a training plan toward the Olympics. The plan included aspects she wanted to adjust based on her own experiences. She asked about the philosophy behind the plan, development strategy, takeaways from the past season, and what improvements would be made.

“Those questions are probably the reason they felt I didn’t have 100% trust and belief in them, so they chose not to select me. And the way it was handled – I can’t stand behind that,” says Knotten.

She also says she feels she’s been lied to.

Knotten is not alone in questioning the national team’s setup ahead of the Olympic season.

Emilie Kalkenberg (27) is leaving the Association after seven years on the national team in favor of her own training project with her younger brother Kasper Kalkenberg, one of the world’s top biathlon prospects. Despite being offered a spot, he is turning down the national team after just one year.

A reckoning with the Association

National team director Per Arne Botnan explained the decision to cut Knotten like this:

“Karoline Knotten and we have different wishes and needs for the coming season,” Botnan said when the selection was announced in April.

Knotten says she does not trust the national team leadership. She is now signaling a coming reckoning with them – but she’s not ready yet.

“There’s definitely a need to talk things through, but for now, it’s pointless until emotions have settled,” says Knotten, hinting that it might happen before the Blink Festival in Sandnes in early August.

Botnan confirms that he knows a meeting is being planned.

Are you concerned that the situation with Knotten could be a problem heading into winter?

“We need to ensure that it doesn’t become one. That’s a responsibility both for us and for Karoline. Both parties must plan a way forward and put things behind them,” he told TV 2.

Support means a lot

The controversy between Knotten and the national team has made headlines both in and outside Norway’s biathlon circles. Several top athletes, including World Cup winner Franziska Preuss, French star Julia Simon, and Swede Linn Persson, have expressed support.

So have Marte Olsbu Røiseland and Tiril Eckhoff, both of whom have publicly criticized the decision. That means a lot to Knotten.

“They’re people I’ve looked up to and tried to learn from. It meant so much that they felt I deserved a bit more backing,” she told TV 2.

Eckhoff compared the treatment of Knotten to a dictatorship.

“I used the same word in a local newspaper. Because that’s how I define a dictatorship – when new rules are suddenly created out of nowhere, and you must show 100% loyalty. And if you ask questions, you’re out,” says Knotten.

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