It’s that time of the year again. The season is freshly concluded and coaching carousel begins. The end of an Olympic season is, for obvious reasons, results in the most crowded carousel every four years. Some coaches are looking for new challenges. Some teams are looking to turn the page. This season we have each of the five biggest nations making changes of varying degrees. Let’s take a look at the coaching changes we’re seeing this season:
🇫🇷 France – After announcing last August that he would be leaving the Norwegian team at the conclusion of the 2025-20260 season, speculation about Ziggy Mazet’s return to the French team was much speculated. It became the worst kept secret in biathlon as Stephane Bouthiaux basically gave away the game in February.
At the end of the season Mazet made it official that he will in fact be returning to the French team as the “shooting coach.” This title always makes me chuckle. It makes it seem as if Mazet will strictly be focusing on the shooting. But logically we know that Mazet is going to play a more thorough role in the coaching of each of these athletes. Of course he’ll focus on being the man behind the scope. But you can bet he’ll have some input on the overall preparations.
It doesn’t take any great insight to know that this is a grand slam hire. Every team would love to have Ziggy Mazet in the fold. He’s done nothing but coach champions. No doubt about it he’s going to make a positive impact on the careers of the men under him. And if history is any guide, just as he did with the Norwegian women, he’s going to play a big role with the women as well, even if it’s not “official.”
New French Coaching Staff:
Director: Stephane Bouthiaux
Men’s A Team: Simon Fourcade
Women’s A Team: Cyril Burdet
Shooting Coach: Siegfried “Ziggy” Mazet
🇳🇴 Norway – With the departure of Ziggy Mazet and his oversized (in a good way) influence on the Norwegian team, the federation decided it was time to make wholesale changes. Basically the entire coaching/administration experienced turn over.
This starts with Lars Maeland who will take over the director position from recently retired Per Arne Botnan who had been in the director’s chair for the last 16 seasons. Obviously that’s a lot to replace but the team will turn to Lars Maeland. Maeland served the last year as a development consulstant for the Olympiattopen Oestlandet working to develop the Olympic level athletes and coaches for eastern Norway. Prior to that he worked as director for multiple private teams after an earlier stint as physical trainer for the Alpine skiing team. He will be assisted by Anders Brun Hennum.
For the men’s coaching staff the administration turns to a couple of familiar faces: Patrick Oberegger and Anders Oeverby. Both are well known to biathlon fans. Patrick Oberegger has been the women’s head coach for the last two Olympic cycles. Along the way he led the team to four Nations Cup titles as well as leading Tiril Eckhoff to the Overall Globe in the 2020-2021 season and Marte Olsbu Roeiseland in 2021-2022. That same season Roeiseland also set the record for most medals won by a woman in a single Olympics.
Anders Oeverby, meanwhile, rises to the World Cup level after many successful seasons leading the men’s IBU Cup team. Oeverby is well known for his many innovative coaching techniques. He’s overseen significant dominance by the Norwegian IBU Cup men, many of whom are now running on the World Cup. You know their names.
The way I look at this coaching marriage is one of linking the older athletes and the younger athletes. The older athletes are likely more familiar with Oberegger. As he and Mazet worked closely together the last few seasons, Oberegger likely knows how they operate. And for the men like Laegreid, Christiansen, and Dale-Skjevdal, there really isn’t a lot to change. Just try to keep it consistent. The younger group, including Johan-Olav Both, Martin Uldal, Isak Frey, etc as grown up with Anders Oeverby. He clearly knows how to get the most out of them and should continue to be able to do that. Oeverby also is always thinking ahead. While I’m not overwhelmed by the Oberegger hire, I completely understand it.
On the men’s side, the Norwegian team will be proceeding with Sverre Oslbu Roeiseland and Marthe Kristoffersen. Sverre Roeiseland clearly has experience at the highest level of the sport. Of course he’s helped to coach and guide his wife Marte Roeiseland who had an exceptionally successful career including the 2022 Overall Globe and five medals at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Immediately after that he moved to the German national team where he helped Franziska Preuss reach her absolute apex. First in the injury and illness shortened 2023-2024 season and then when she took home the 2024-2025 Overall Globe. Importantly, not only has Roeiseland had success, but he’s done it under the high scrutiny of managing the German team. The German fans and press put immense pressure on Roeiseland. And lastly, it meets his dream of being able to be home closer to family. There is nowhere closer he can get home than where he and his family currently live.
He will be joined by Marthe Kristoffersen. Kristoffersen has a length history as a skiing coach. She actually has never coached biathlon before as she has only been an cross country skiing coach including with the Norwegian national team as well as Team Eksjohus. While there is definitely a difference between the technique of cross country skiing and biathlon skiing, they have to have faith that she can make the transition and get the most out of these talented women.
It is worth noting that this means that highly talented and respected skiing coach Egil Kristiansen is open for a job. He is 60 years old but appears to be interested in a new coaching position. If he does ultimately join a new team this season he should instantly make an impact on their skiing.
New Norwegian Staff:
Director: Lars Maeland
Assistant Director: Anders Brun Hennum – responsible for recruit and u23 teams
Men’s A Team: Patrick Oberegger & Anders Oeverby
Women’s A Team: Sverre Olsbu Roeiseland & Marthe Kristoffersen
🇩🇪 Germany – At the end of the season Sverre Roeiseland announced that he would be departing in order to have the opportunity to spend more time with his family. At the time it wasn’t known that his opportunity would be to coach in Norway. However, fortunately for him, as outlined above, that opportunity opened up for him.
The German women’s position instantly became one of the most coveted position. There is absolutely high pressure for success. But there is also a higher level of young talent than you will find in almost any other federation except for France. Just look at the names that are available to help coach over the next few years: Selina Grotian, Julia Tannheimer, Vanessa Voigt, Marlene Fichtner, etc. Then there is the bunch of talent that is still waiting to be unleashed like Julia Kink, Alma Siegismund, and Sophie Patz. And we’re not even talking talents who are still years away like Melina Gaupp and Sydney Wuesterling.
This was an absolutely crucial hire. They need a coach who is not just proficient at coaching biathlon, but one who is able to manage these young athletes through the high pressure that they are going to face from media and fans. A good coach would be able to build their biathlon. A great coach will help them reach their highest levels of success by building their mental strength.
The German team absolutely knocked it out of the part with this hire. Absolutely no doubt about it, Sandra Flunger was perfect for this team in every conceivable manner. She is well known as a great head coach. She has taken the Swiss team to the highest levels they have ever reached. This included several seasons of the highest Nations Cup finishes by both the Swiss men and women. She took Lena Haecki-Gross to her absolute apex in the 2023-2024 season as she finished 6th in the Overall. Flunger has brought along Amy Baserga to a high level contender and she oversaw thge breakthrough of Lea Meier last season. She also has helped to personally guide her friend and Austrian athlete Lisa Hauser to amazing successes including 3rd Overall in the 2021-2022 season, the Individual discipline globe in the 2020-2021 season, six wins, and two World Championship medals including the 2021 Mass Start gold medal.
Sandra Flunger is clearly a great biathlon coach. What she does better than nearly everybody, though, is managing her team’s mental state. We have had the opportunity to speak with many of the Swiss athletes the last few seasons and they all talk about how good Flunger is at the social/emotional aspects of coaching. She brings a new atmosphere to the team. With the pressure that Vanessa Voigt and Selina Grotian amongst others have spoken of, this is clearly Sandra Flunger’s greatest asset to her new program.
Flunger will be assisted by Denny Andritzke who has been part of he training staff with the DSV for the last six seasons. He has been in charge of the Oberhof training center so he has helped to train some of the World Cup and IBU Cup athletes at various times over the last few seasons as well.
The one major loss in this instance will be the departure of Andreas Birnbacher. He has stated that he will still have a role with DSV but it is not immediately clear what that will be.
German DSV Staff:
Director: Bernd Eisenbichler
Men’s A Team: Tobias Reiter & Jens Filbrich
Women’s A Team: Sandra Flunger & Denny Andritzke
🇸🇮 Slovenia – Armin Auchentaller and Rok Trsan (Write up and analysis to come)
🇸🇪 Sweden – Jonne Kähkönen (Write up and analysis to come)
🇮🇹 Italia Women – TBD
🇺🇸 United States – TBD
🇨🇭 Switzerland – TBD
🇵🇱 Polish Women – TBD
🇧🇪 Belgium – TBD
🇦🇹 Austria ?