The 25-year-old grew up in Norway, won gold for Norway at the Junior World Championships, and has spent years fighting for a spot on the national team. Now, she has made a drastic decision.

The dream of standing on the starting line at the Olympics — with the national flag on her chest, thousands of spectators lining the course, and millions watching on TV — has driven her for years.

Now, biathlete Anne Bunemann De Besche has chosen a new path toward that goal: the 25-year-old has changed her citizenship.

The biathlon talent who won gold for Norway in the relay at the 2019 Junior World Championships, alongside Maren Bakken and Marte Möller, will now compete for an Olympic spot as part of the Danish National Team.

Because while the odds of qualifying for Norway in the Winter Olympics are incredibly slim in almost any discipline, it’s at least a bit easier for Danes. And that was the starting point for the biathlete’s change of nation.

“I’m 75 percent Danish, have a large family there, and spend a lot of time in Denmark. So, representing Denmark was a natural choice for me,” she told NordicMag.

Also Read: Aiming for the Olympics – with help from Skistad and her coach

Top 10 nationally, but not selected for the IBU Cup

The upcoming Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina isn’t the only reason De Besche decided to apply for Danish citizenship.

The ambitious 25-year-old also hopes that the change of nation will help her take the next steps in her career. In addition to the relay gold from the 2019 Junior World Championships, De Besche placed fifth in both the sprint and pursuit at the same championships and finished seventh in the sprint at the 2018 Junior Worlds.

In recent years, De Besche has made solid progress at the senior level. She has won races in the Norwegian Cup and placed a strong 10th in the mass start at the national season opener in Sjusjøen last year. But she has yet to be selected for international competitions.

That could change now.

Danish passport – greater opportunities

De Besche now hopes that changing nationality will open the door to the IBU Cup, the level below the World Cup, and from there on to the highest level.

“I’ve been in the Norwegian system for a few years now, but there are so many strong biathletes there. Now that I’m a bit older, I want to be part of something bigger – but within a smaller team,” says De Besche.

Could end up on the Olympic team alongside Slettemark

Now, the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina is the overarching goal for the upcoming season. The Norwegian Dane, who trains daily with the private team Romerike Biathlon, has a clear plan for how to get there.

“I’ll race all the IBU Cup rounds before Christmas, hope to qualify for the World Cup in Ruhpolding in January, and then secure a spot on the Olympic team,” says De Besche.

Will that be enough to beat Ukaleq Slettemark, the Greenlander who represents Denmark at the Olympics?

“It’s not impossible that we both qualify. That would actually be the ideal outcome,” she says.

Also Read: Ukaleq Slettemark about her triumph in the Arctic Circle Race

Dreams of a relay team at the 2029 World Championships

The Danish national biathlon team currently consists of ten athletes, including De Besche. The other nine are Rasmus Schiellerup, Osvald Grønning, Leonora Rønhede, Nora Flyvholm Berg, Jacob Weel Rosbo, Joachim Weel Rosbo, Asbjørn Bøye, Emil Frisk, and Jens Dalgaard.

“We hope we can inspire young Danish athletes to take up biathlon, and our biggest dream is to field Denmark’s first-ever women’s relay team at the 2029 World Championships in Holmenkollen,” says De Besche.

But the short-term goal is nothing less than the Olympics, now just over six months away.

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