Moravec’s Biathlon Approach: Order & Trust

You can also listen to the interview in the audio version.

He’s just his own. Whatever role Ondřej Moravec was in Czech biathlon, he remained himself. It doesn’t matter if he competed in the national team or appeared as an expert on television. He always said what he thought straight. He behaves the same as a coach.

Today in Östersund, Sweden, the new edition of the World Cup starts with the men’s and women’s relay. In a big interview for Seznam Zprávy, Moravec shares news from the team and describes his coaching principles.

The preparation is over, the new season is just around the corner. Can you compare the state of the team this year and last year, when you first joined it?

I think the guys are a lot further than they were a year ago. Especially in the summer, they made great progress in physical preparation and on the shooting range. It’s not just feelings, those things can be measured. We have test and control training data to confirm this. Unfortunately, we did not have the opportunity to measure our strength with the competition. But it’s not a big problem. As I tell the boys, we will be measured at the World Cup.

In last year’s preparation, you ordered the team to shoot with much greater intensity than before. What changes have taken place this year?

This time we worked a lot on speeding up the shooting. The modern trend is clear: the best biathletes today are able to shoot all events under twenty seconds. I think the guys have improved a lot. Of course, racing is about something different than training. The pressure is huge there and the head starts to work. But if they reach for the first good results, they will gain self-confidence and everything will go easier.

Hák competed in juniors last year. Can a young biathlete fight for a place in the national team after just a few months of preparation?

Ten days ago we had internal control races in Finland, Péťa showed great results there. He was not at all far from making it to the national team. He started at the World Cup already at the end of last season, before that he won two medals at the Junior World Championship. He still has a lot of work to do, but I see a very bright future for him. His ceiling is high, he needs to avoid major health lapses.

What did the control races show you overall?

The athletes who placed in the first three or four positions performed super. Mostly it is an experienced axis of the team. The guys who were sure of the nomination confirmed their position. They showed that they are going to the World Cup right. I was a little disappointed that Tomáš Mikyska did not manage the mass race. He is one of our best shooters, but this time he failed at the range. On the other hand, it was pleasing that those who worked really hard all summer flew up. Overall, the team has changed a lot, but the shape is not final. Anyone can prove their good performance and get a place in the national team.

In the summer, Mikyska damaged his submachine gun and is now using your old stock. Could it be worth his trouble on the range?

I don’t think so. Tomáš is a person who does not pay much attention to such things. He doesn’t consider them important at all. But your information is correct, he broke his stock. They glued it to him, but he didn’t feel comfortable with it. So I lent him mine, it’s very similar. She suited him, that’s why he kept her.

Michal Krčmář solved another technical problem, he changed the brand of skis. Isn’t it a risk to go into the Olympic season with untried pairs?

The move was deliberate. He wanted to do it already last season, then he decided to wait. We have various analyzes and ski tests after races. These showed that although the service was excellent, the material itself did not work ideally. The competitor can then try his hardest, but he will still lag behind his opponents… The current exchange has one more advantage. Newly, Krčmář will race on Fischers, which most of the team has. He helps out with his teammates if needed. It will be beneficial for everyone.

Jakub Štvrtecký made his way to the nomination for the World Cup somewhat unexpectedly. He reminds you in your youth: he is also very fast, but he can’t hit. Do you have any advice for him?

Štvrtecký was preparing with the B-team, we didn’t meet very often. When there were joint training sessions, I talked to him. But you know how it goes: every athlete gets a lot of advice. It depends on how he takes them. Now Cuba has shown that he has made some progress. He came fourth in the nomination races, so he will go to the World Cup. We’ll see what he does there. In training, most athletes do not have serious problems with shooting. These appear when psychological pressure grows and the weight of the moment falls on a person.

In the summer, I had a big interview with the head of Czech biathlon, Jiří Hamza. He said about you: “Ondra is the toughest of us all.” Do you consider yourself a strict trainer?

Maybe yes. To some extent. I guess I have that kind of personality, but you mustn’t take it literally. (laughs)

How does your toughness show?

I am much older than the racers, but also than some of the coaches or members of the service team. I just belong to a different generation. We were brought up that way, led to order from a tender age. Already in the pupils, then in the youth and juniors, we had certain rules that had to be followed. Now I miss it a bit… I don’t want to say that today’s athletes are undisciplined. They are just different. Therefore, it is sometimes not out of place to show that if there are any rules, they must be respected. Then it creates order in the team and instills confidence in working together.

How is today’s generation different?

I see the biggest difference in communication. In the past, people talked to each other more, visited each other. Then it kind of disappeared. The covid period, when everyone sat at home and didn’t meet others much, is also to blame for this. Now because of this, the habit of direct confrontation is missing. But it has its weight and is important for the proper functioning of the team.

As a coach, what will you never tolerate in subordinates?

The functioning of the team should be based on mutual trust. It has the most to do with people telling the truth. Just don’t lie, it’s one of the most important things for me.

You are known to always speak your mind. Will it happen that you even regret it afterwards?

Sometimes you would like to take it back, but you can’t anymore… On the other hand, I’m changing too. I’ve calmed down a bit over time, and I’m more experienced. I think about it a lot, I try to work with it. I would say that I deal with some things differently than before.

You jumped into the men’s team last year without any coaching experience. Does this mean that academic education and long-term experience are not a requirement for successful performance of this job?

It certainly has its advantages. But in my opinion, personal racing experience is priceless. It is important that we have experts in different things in the coaching staff. If you don’t know how to deal with something, you have somewhere to turn.

Are you also looking for inspiration in your old training diaries?

Actually, I don’t have any anymore. We wrote them by hand only at the beginning of our careers, then they were replaced by electronic diaries. I don’t attach as much importance to these records. In essence, training hasn’t changed much in recent years, everything is in my head.

It is said that Czech teams in various sports have a unique atmosphere, there is even an expression “Czech cabin”. Does this also apply to biathlon?

I am very happy with our environment at the moment. I don’t want to say that things improved a lot with my arrival, but… In short, it changed. Although biathlon is an individual sport, a good team atmosphere is very important. A smart athlete can use it, it can raise his personal performance.

The French might oppose you. They are the best representation at the moment, with their female number one Julia Simonová recently given a three-month suspended sentence for stealing money from a colleague’s credit card.

We discussed it a lot in the team. I think it’s a matter for a psychologist or a psychiatrist. That person should be punished exemplary. Even from the point of view of ordinary human justice, it must be so. It’s unfortunate that it happened before the Olympics, but it can’t be ignored. Whether you are one of the world’s best biathletes or a regular athlete, punishment must come. Otherwise, all laws and rules lose their meaning.

I can’t imagine the atmosphere in the French team. Coaches have to see things like that, right?

It is in a way a tax for their huge competition. Whoever comes is actually immediately able to fight for the top ranks in the World Cup. There must be a huge rivalry, which can then cause tension. Now another case has come to light, the illegal handling of a colleague’s weapon… I don’t envy my French colleagues their work at all.

Before joining the national team, you had a lot of hobbies: you commented on biathlon on TV, you ran ski alpines. Are you missing something?

Probably skialps, even if the project is still running. I’m not physically there, but I stay in touch with my colleagues. I am the founder of the “Skialp to schools” program, I still have a certain position there. I’m glad it works, that it all makes sense.

You are organizing it with a group of friends, some of whom you have known since your old age. Aren’t you afraid of letting strangers touch your body?

If people are really serious about something, you can usually tell right away. At least I believe it is. Moreover, most of our party is already of some age. They are mature guys who know what life is all about. As I said, I rely on communication and mutual trust. I don’t want to think that this doesn’t exist anymore.