Psycho-tricks and risk: Velepec makes biathletes better

World Cup - Psycho-tricks and risk: Velepec makes biathletes better

In the sunshine of Hochfilzen, Uros Velepec felt like laughing. The new national biathlon coach kept joking with his ski hunters during training, but then also looked very closely at the shooting range when they fired their shots.

The mood on the day before the World Cup opener in Hochfilzen was brilliant, after the best start to the season in their history, the men's sprint on Friday (11.30 a.m./ARD and Eurosport) should continue as well as possible. The fact that Philipp Nawrath, a German, is leading the overall World Cup is also thanks to the work of 56-year-old Velepec.

"I've built up the necessary self-confidence with him," Nawrath told the German Press Agency in Austria. The 30-year-old won his first World Cup race in Sweden the previous week and finished second a day later. The reward: the yellow jersey of the front runner, which the Bavarian would like to successfully defend. Many problems in the standing shooting have spoiled better results for Nawrath in the past. It would be too simple an explanation to say that the upswing is now solely due to Velepec, but nevertheless something has changed in the German team this summer.

Velepec and the psychological tricks

After 13 years in charge, Mark Kirchner from Thuringia announced his retirement in the spring. His former assistant Velepec took over as the new boss and was joined by former cross-country skier Jens Filbrich as a new assistant coach. New training plans and a different methodology brought new momentum to the team around former world champion Benedikt Doll. "Mark left behind a very tidy squad that was simply in a really good starting position," said Nawrath: "It just needed some fine-tuning in one place or another. We've already done some things really well."

Velepec is an "open guy, the communication is very good," said Justus Strelow, who also had a strong start in fourth place in the overall standings and was also on the podium in Östersund in second place in the individual. "His speeches are very motivating. He always has a few psychological tricks up his sleeve. He does it very well," said the Saxon. English has been the official language in training since 2022, but Velepec, who comes from Slovenia, also speaks and understands German well.

"We have to take more risks, shoot faster and do everything 100 percent, otherwise we have no chance," said Velepec himself before his debut season as head of the ski hunters. Above all, he practiced risky shooting. So: simply don't think, get the projectiles out quickly and build on the experience of thousands of training shots. "You need courage, you have to dare. It's not that easy at first," said Strelow: "In most cases, however, the risk is worth it, you just can't completely overdo it."

The change away from the old safety mindset is particularly necessary because other nations are leading the way. The rapid-fire performances of the Norwegians around Johannes Thingnes Bö are the benchmark. If Nawrath and Co. want to keep up, they have to be self-confident. "That's the only way we can put the others under pressure," said Strelow in the snow-covered Pillerseetal.

Velepec, the ultra-triathlete

Before the winter, hardly anyone had expected the men's team to be so far ahead, victories against Bö and Co. were considered almost impossible. But Roman Rees also wore the yellow jersey after his opening triumph in the individual race, and the relay team also made it onto the podium. Franziska Preuß, a German in the yellow jersey, will also be competing in the women's sprint on Friday (14:25). "It's our job to make sure that they can run and shoot very well," said Velepec, adding: "It's a long job."

The experience of the man who joined the German Ski Association in the summer of 2022 will help. He was previously a coach in his home country and then for a long time in Ukraine. During his active time, Velepec and Kirchner competed against each other in the World Cup, but the German was much more successful with three Olympic victories. Velepec later became a triathlete and won the Ultraman in Hawaii, an extreme competition over ten kilometers of swimming, 421 kilometers of cycling and 84 kilometers of running. In the meantime, he has long since turned his attention back to the biathlon. And Velepec has only one wish: "I hope it continues like this for us."