At 34 years old, Vetle Christiansen has become the oldest athlete on the Norwegian biathlon team, and he has now addressed recent rumors surrounding his future.
After a difficult season marked by the death of teammate Sivert Bakken and two Olympic silver medals, the Norwegian made it clear that retirement is not currently on his agenda.
“People started worrying about me”
According to Christiansen, the speculation started after one of his interviews was presented with a misleading headline.
“I gave an interview where I said I might retire in three years, but the headline completely distorted it.
After that, people started sending messages worrying about me, and then rumors appeared saying that I was struggling physically and mentally… Honestly, I’m tired of all this drama.
Sensational headlines are one thing, but this has gone too far.”
Main goal: the 2029 World Championships
Despite his age and the emotional challenges of the past season, Christiansen intends to continue competing.
“I will keep racing no matter what. My main goal is to compete at the World Championships in Holmenkollen in 2029,” he said.
The Norwegian also left the door open for the 2030 Olympic Games in France, although he admitted that the Olympics are mentally exhausting.
“The Games in France will probably be fantastic, but the Olympics are extremely demanding mentally. I also have many other projects I’d like to explore, but I’ll think about that later.”
