Meet & greet with the Norwegian men’s team in Trentino

Photo: RobyBragotto_TrentinoMarketing

Several national ski teams, including the Norwegians and the Stifel Alpine men’s team, have gathered for spring prep camps. Thanks to a ten-year cooperation agreement extending through the 2026 Olympic year, the Norwegian men’s World Cup team could spend time training and team building in Trentino, Italy.

Aleksander Aamodt Kilde

It was an opportunity for Ski Racing Media to get some updates from Aleksander Aamodt Kilde: “We trained and tested equipment in Kvitfjell a few weeks ago. Mikaela (Shiffrin) was also there. We did a good job, I think, especially with GS. There are always things to develop and test. I’m currently taking it easy, and I feel fine. After some leisure traveling and dryland training, we’ll ski again later this summer with the speed team in South America.”

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen

In Italy, the large tech team squad was only missing Henrik Kristoffersen. However, the group did include 23-year-old Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who confessed to being very active recently: “It’s great to travel and regroup here. I was in Brazil, then Morocco, and I’m heading to Milan for meetings with a design and architecture studio for my home in Norway.” He also spoke about his perspective after earning the slalom discipline: “I think entering the new season with the number one world ranking is a beautiful experience. It’s new having other skiers trying to catch up to me instead of being the underdog. I have been the chaser throughout my career and still am in GS.  I’ll find out whether it’s going to be an advantage or not. But I see it as a great opportunity to learn and grow.”

Atle Lie McGrath

The person who probably enjoyed the team camp the most is Lucas’ teammate and close friend, Atle Lie McGrath. Due to his injury at the World Championships, he hasn’t seen much of his colleagues for three months: “It’s simply amazing to be here with my teammates and coaches. I’ve gone through the recovery period after the crash and ACL surgery in February. Now I feel good and can even play some tennis. If I don’t run too much, I can also bike and train in the gym. I hope to join the team for my first ski camp in New Zealand later this summer.”

Alexander Steen Olsen

The rising team star and first-time World Cup winner, Alexander Steen Olsen, is only one year younger than the “twins” Braathen and McGrath. He offered SRM his thoughts on last season: “It simply exceeded my wildest expectations. I finished the season well in the slalom standings (9th) and had solid GS results. It’s just been super fun and I’m ready to attack the new season.”

Europa Cup SL Champion Halvor Hilde Gunleiksrud

The Norwegian “Attacking Vikings” are welcoming a new member to the World Cup team: the European Cup slalom title winner Halvor Hilde Gunleiksrud. The young skier was born in 2000 and came from the same club as Steen Olsen, and like Braathen and McGrath, the two are best friends.

Gunleiksrud told SRM his plan for the coming season: “I’m going to race all World Cup slaloms, maybe some GS, and also some European Cups.” He seemed confident in front of cameras and block notes. Media representatives were less sure about pronouncing his last name, but we’ll have to get it right if we hear his name often next winter.

A week for team building and multi-sport

The action-packed camp included gym sessions, basketball, volleyball, soccer, road biking, running, swimming and mountain biking with the 2010 road world champion fellow Norwegian Thor Hushovd. The week-long camp offered the nine skiers a real multi-sport team-building experience between Garda Lake and the Dolomites.

In an individual sport like skiing, the Norwegians have a great tradition of considerable team spirit. According to Kilde: “The team becomes your second family. You share the same passions and goals, creating a camaraderie that you won’t find anywhere else. Being part of a group with the same mentality helps you be the best in the world at what you’re doing.”

“Lagfølelse” is the Norwegian word that describes the feeling of team cohesion that combines teamwork and a sense of belonging. That might be the Norwegians’ secret weapon, reinforced at camps like this one, far from the pressure of the race schedule.

Higher budget, same team and program

“Last season was amazing for us, a record-breaking season,” said Claus Ryste, alpine director for the Norwegian Alpine Team, who attended the camp at Paganella and Riva del Garda. The numbers are clear: third place in the Nations Cup (behind Switzerland and Austria), two World Cup discipline globes, 17 victories, and 43 podium results, with ten different athletes contributing.

Then, second place in the World Championships medal standing (behind Switzerland), with the highest number of medals, nine, including two gold, three silver and four bronze. The Attacking Vikings are a super squad featuring winning skiers in many disciplines, both men and women, with a mix of experienced and younger athletes.

“For the next season, we have the same number of skiers as the 2023 team. Some younger athletes filled the spots left by retired skiers (among them, Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen). We focus on supporting our leaders but will also invest in developing the women’s C team. They already made enormous progress last season with Armin Triendl, an Austrian coach who previously worked with Katharina Liensberger; they have good potential,” Ryste continues.

While other federations struggle with budgets, the Oslo-based organization will benefit from a budget increase compared to last year. “From the equivalent of 8 million Euros, we’ll have at our disposal 9 million ($ 9.6 million US dollars). Unfortunately, the extra revenue will be absorbed by inflation and, more significantly, by the weakness of our national currency, the Norwegian Krone. It lost about 30% of its value in a year versus the Euro and other currencies we use for expenses,” explains the alpine director.

The next stop for the men’s team will be in Oslo for dry training and physical testing.