A new generation of competitors is growing up in Slovak biathlon. One of them is Šimon Adamov.
He is twenty-one years old and this season he took an important step – he earned Slovakia a place at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
Until recently, he was among the youngsters who gather experience at lower-level events. Today, his name is associated with the Olympics, that is, with the summit that every biathlete dreams of.
“The Olympics only come once every four years. It’s such a rare thing to enjoy,” he says.
At the same time, Adamov does not seem like a person who would make a big fuss about it. Rather like an athlete who is still just getting used to the fact that a goal that was a long time away has suddenly become a reality.
A boy who grew up skiing
Adamov has been on skis since he was a child and got into the sport very early, as cross-country skiing is a natural part of childhood in the environment under the Tatras.
Gradually, free movement in the snow became regular training and he started racing for the club TJ Tatran Hybe in the youth categories. Sport was an everyday topic at home – he grew up in a family where he competed and trained, and where his brothers gradually got into biathlon.
A combination of endurance and precision brought him to biathlon. He was impressed that it is not enough to run fast, but also to be able to shoot and maintain concentration under pressure.
His sports journey developed step by step, without major shortcuts. Father Michal Adamov, who is still his coach, played a significant role in it.
In addition to biathlon, he also tried ski mountaineering and cycling, but biathlon gradually became the main direction – until the young man from Liptov became an athlete who won an Olympic nomination.
All or nothing
The ongoing season brought a moment in which his sports path began to break towards the Olympics.
An Olympic place in biathlon is not achieved on one lucky day. It is a series of points, results and internal battles that are often decided only at the very end.
One of the key points for Adamov was the home IBU Cup in Osrblí. Under pressure, he had to confirm his form and position in the fight for the second men’s place for Slovakia.
It worked out great for him. He hit all ten targets in the sprint and took 14th place, the best result of the Slovaks that day.
“I managed to score two zeros, which I don’t do so well in sprints. I’ve been shooting well in these races lately, I found a good rhythm. Unfortunately, I didn’t run that well then.
If I had managed to score two zeros earlier in Arber, I would have gone for a medal. So I was quite disappointed with that, but on the other hand I was happy that I managed to secure an Olympic place.”
Jakub Borguľa was already certain of the Olympic place, the last name was decided between Adamov and Martin Maťek on the next day in the World Cup in Ruhpolding, Germany.
“I was pretty stressed out, I’m not going to lie,” he says.
Adamov finished in 74th place, Maťka’s race did not go well despite two zeroes and he took 90th place. At that moment, it was clear who would leave with Olympic certainty.
“It was like I would either leave very happy or very disappointed. There was nothing in between. It could turn out either good or bad. It was mentally very demanding,” he admits.
A dream come true
However, the Winter Olympic Games in Anterselva will also be specific in terms of conditions. The biathlon area is located at an altitude of approximately 1,600 meters above sea level, which means more demanding breathing, higher heart rate and even greater sensitivity to every detail.
Adamov knows that preparation will not only be about form, but also about adaptation. “I will go to high altitude training and acclimatize before the Olympics,” he explains.
His height does not pose any fundamental problems for him, as they attend similar training sessions regularly. “We do a lot of high altitude camps before the season,” he adds.
And what is he most looking forward to? “Definitely for the atmosphere of the Olympics. It’s a dream come true,” he answers without hesitation. “It’s only once every four years and it’s something rare to enjoy.”
Simon Adamov. (Author: Slovak Press Agency)
The discipline he believes in the most
He is most looking forward to endurance races. It is in this discipline that he feels that he knows how to use what is crucial for biathlon – calmness on the shooting range and patience in long races.
The paradox is that the last endurance race did not go well for him.
“I had probably the worst course of this season,” comments seven shots outside and 88th place in Novi Mesto na Morava.
Nevertheless, he does not see it as a weakness, rather as an exception. He completed several endurance races, which he managed shooting very well, and that is what he wants to build on under the five rings.
“I did well in the remaining endurance races, I believe it can work out,” he says.
The Olympics will be both a reward and a test for Adamov. For the young biathlete, this is the next step in his career, but also an experience that can show where he can move among world competition.
