Biathlon skier Tuomas Harjula was in need of a vacation after the Beijing Olympics. The skiing did not go because Harjula’s oxygen uptake did not work normally during maximum performance. The best World Cup ranking of the season was 40th place.
Harjula retired for a long break and to find out the reasons behind the low mood. However, no single cause of the problem was found.
– You couldn’t put your finger on the fact that it was caused by that. Last season’s problems were certainly the sum of many factors. I did really light training for a month and took a break from biathlon. I believe that the long break in the spring did quite a lot of good for this season, says Harjula.
Last spring’s reset seems really to have been a good solution. On Sunday, Harjula rose spectacularly from 41st place in the pursuit to 14th place in the Hochfilzen World Cup.
What makes the performance rare for Finns is that Harjula shot down all 20 discs and was the fastest in the entire pursuit race. Among other things, Norway, who won the race, was left behind in the group races Johannes Thingnes Bo 13 seconds and third placed France Emilien Jacquelin by no less than 44 seconds.
– Yes, it was the best biathlon performance of my career so far. The first time I shot four zeros and a good ski on top of that. It was a great feeling. I guess it had some kind of flow mode on. I didn’t do or think about anything special when shooting, the performance just came naturally.
– A performance like that warms up a lot after last season’s difficulties, Harjula says.
In cross-country skiing, Harjula lost to Johannes Bö by only 33 seconds.
During the break, the fire in biathlon returned
Started as head coach of the Finnish national team in May Erik Bartlett Kulstad has piloted the Finnish biathletes to a good early season pace. The men’s relay team has already reached its best ranking twice in 20 years, last weekend a handsome fifth.
However, the Norwegian pilot is not behind Harjula’s top performance, as the Tuusula Voima-Veikko athlete was dropped from the A national team in the spring.
– I have been training in the Defense Forces outside of the groups of the Amphitheater Association, so he (Kulstad) has not been able to influence my training much. I have the impression that he is a really motivated and attentive coach. Now during the competition season, when I have seen him, I can only give positive feedback, Niko Aapajärvi coached by Harjula says.
Harjula has been working since the beginning of the year as a sports non-commissioned officer in the Kainuu brigade. The work enables top sports and long absences due to camp and competition trips. However, during her break last spring, Harjula spent more time than usual at work in Kajaani.
– In the spring, among other things, I drove tracks. It was nice that there was work, and I wasn’t completely idle, says Harjula.
While driving the ski machine, Harjula had time to reflect on her sports career and was happy to discover that she had begun to miss biathlon.
– I was dying to get back to training. At the same time, there was hope that something more could come of this. I was just so mentally exhausted that I needed a longer break. From there, I found joy in doing things again and I was able to enjoy training again, which was a big factor.
In difficult times, when faith was tested, Harjula received support from her family.
– Sometimes I thought that there was no point in this, but at no point was I very worried. I knew I was capable of good performances, but I just had to find a way to get there, says Harjula.
When the test results at the end of the summer denied the development of physical performance, Harjula says that she realized that she is back on track.
– Last season, the biggest problem was a big collapse in maximum performance. The summer and autumn tests showed that it has also returned to normal and beyond. Development had come.
The World Cup continues on Thursday in France
Harjula made a splash in the World Cup already two years ago, when she finished 14th on the normal course in Kontiolahti. After that, the difficulties lasted for a long time. After his success last weekend, Harjula can trust both his shooting and his skiing condition.
On Monday evening, Finnish biathletes were already on their way to the next World Cup location, Annecy in the French Alps. The men’s speed race will be held on Thursday.
– I would think that the condition is good at the moment. The most satisfying is the consistency of the skiing pace from race to race, that’s what I’ve been looking for. Lying down shooting has been going well, but standing up has been a mess. Now I gained confidence when both positions worked on a good day. I have known that I have that skill, Harjula concludes.
The Biathlon World Cup continues in Annecy with the men’s sprint race on Thursday. The broadcast on TV2 starts at 15:05.