Sonja Leinamo's Remarkable Development Fueled by 100 Hours of Training – Tough Norwegian Head Coach Often Scares Young Athlete

Sonja Leinamo, who began biathlon just in 2021, is eager as she heads into the new training season. At first, she felt intimidated by the straightforwardness of her head coach Erik Torneus-Kulstad.

Despite many top skiers missing from the Finnish championships in Taivalkoski, the athletes present demonstrated that the team's rigorous and extensive training is beginning to pay off in skiing speeds.

Tero Seppälä clinched a bronze medal in the men's 10 kilometers, while this winter's biathlon world championship medalist Suvi Minkkinen placed fourth in the women’s 5-kilometer race.

Leinamo, originally racing in the 10 and 30 kilometers, finished sixth in both events last weekend. Now a member of the Pohti Ski Team, she has made a solid transition from her previous team at Ahveniston Ampumahiihtäjien.

In an extraordinary performance, Leinamo placed eighth in the World Cup sprint event in Oberhof on January 9, recording zero misses on the shooting range and finishing just 19 seconds behind the podium—a sensational feat considering her background.

"I am very satisfied with my biathlon season and also with these championship results. We increased the training volume by 100 hours this season, so it was crucial to see that the chosen path worked," Leinamo noted. As she looks forward to the upcoming training season, she feels a boost in her confidence and believes many other national team athletes feel the same way.

International Biathlon Union data reveals that while she raced approximately 12.2 seconds per kilometer slower than the winner in the 2023-24 season, this gap has narrowed significantly this past season by exactly five seconds. This means she’s gained about 37 seconds in a 7.5-kilometer sprint, showcasing her impressive progress.

However, the data also exposes a glaring area for improvement: Leinamo struggled with shooting accuracy, achieving only 72% success from the prone position and 65% from standing, leading her coaches to focus heavily on these aspects in her upcoming training.

This group's collective development is attributed to their dedicated Norwegian head coach Erik Torneus-Kulstad, who maintains a strict principle that in the A-team, there's no room for half-hearted commitment.

As she reflects on her earlier fears of her coach’s feedback style, she now recognizes it as a positive aspect meant for her growth.