Inside the Mind of a Biathlete

LAGO DI TESERO – When Alexander Kiefer began his 12.5 km biathlon final at the 2013 Winter Universiade, he knew he was in for a tough afternoon. Conditions were good, but the Lago di Tesero is a notoriously difficult course.

But to be successful, you must be on-form in both disciplines: skiing and shooting.

While the cross-country skiing part often comes naturally for many biathletes, the shooting part of the sport can make or break their time, as was the case for Kiefer.

“Concentration is key”, the German said. “I think it’s a problem with the brain, with the head. They were bad mistakes”, he said after his 30^th place finish.

Kiefer says that the skiing part isn’t the most difficult aspect, although the climbs can pose problems with a 3.5 kg rifle on your back.

For him, it’s with a rifle in his hands.

“It was really hard on the legs, and I have many problems in the standing and prone [shooting] positions”, he said.

For every target missed a penalty is assessed to the biathletes time, either by skiing a penalty loop or by adding a minute to the finish time, proving how important accurate shooting is.

But what goes through a shooters head as he aims? For Keifer, it all comes down to one thing.

“You must concentrate at all times.”

The 22-year-old came from a family of biathletes. It’s also advantageous that he lives in Black Forest, located in Baden-Württemberg, an area in Southwest Germany notorious for its winter sports, allowing him ample practice.

“The region I come from is great to do winter sports in.” The product engineering student added.

Matt Tidcombe, FISU Young Reporter