In his 15 years as the chief of training for the Swedish biathlon team, Wolfgang Pichler has played a huge role in the rise of 2002 two-time bronze medalist Magdalena Forsberg, 2006 gold and silver medalist Anna Carin Olofsson-Zidek and Sweden's promising new star, Helena Jonsson.
Hailing from the biathlon hotbed of Ruhpolding, Germany, Pichler's entire life (he will be 55 at the Vancouver Games) has been dedicated to the sport, especially the shooting aspect of it. He is widely respected for his ability to instruct his biathletes -- before, during and after a race -- to improve their shooting accuracy and build their confidence.
Pichler explained what kind of communication goes on between coach and biathlete during the course of a race and shed some light on his teaching methods with NBCOlympics.com.
How do you coach shooting to your biathletes?
Shooting is 80% in the head. You basically have to look where they shoot during the race, and then you have to analyze their tendencies after the race. You also have to consider factors such as wind, sun and the speed they ski into the shooting range.
Let's say, for example, [Swedish biathlete] Anna Carin Olofsson-Zidek has one miss on the range. What is the communication between you, the head coach and Anna Carin?
The coach and I see if she has a tendency, and then I show her out on the course where she shot, using the magnetic board.
So there's someone out on the course who would communicate that to Anna Carin, with the help of the magnetic board?
I am that person, as the chief of training [for the Swedish team]. I am out on the course, and I basically decide what changes must be made. I show her the board, but she must decide what to do at the next shooting.
Can you affect a biathlete during the course of the race?
A lot, but it's very psychological. You have to say the right words. You have to give the biathlete the most important information in a positive way. A wrong word can have a really bad effect.
You are German and you don't speak Swedish. How do you communicate with the biathletes on your team?
I usually write notes on a sheet of paper and then show them the board. But I instruct more during an event with four shootings [the individual, pursuit and mass start], not two [the sprint and relay].
What's the most difficult thing about teaching someone who is having consistent problems on the shooting range?
It's psychological ... it's psychological. It's different from time to time, from person to person. One person needs certain advice, another needs something else. Shooting is not very easy to explain. Physical training for skiing is no problem, but psychological training for shooting is much harder. Shooting itself is not so difficult. It's either hit or miss, and anyone can get a ‘zero.' But it all comes down to the psyche.
Questions compiled by Martin Thorstensson, NBCOlympics.com
