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� 2011 �� Andy Liebner �� "Wild Shot", � �� 2008 ��. �� . "O-town" - �� .

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Training with the World's Best. Joe was true to his word when he said that there were many top skiers using the O-town Biathlon Center as a short-term training base. Over the three weeks I have been living here I have had the great opportunity to witness and train with the Biathlon National Teams from Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Russia. On a daily basis between 20 to 100 people are either rollerskiing or running on the trails.

Unusually, this Thursday morning not a single person can be seen at the Center. It is clear and sunny, perfect for training. I am nearly finished with my warm-up and waiting for my coach to arrive when he shows up. A vehicle arrives with Norwegian license plates and the only Norwegian known to reside in this area is Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. After taking a closer look I confirm it to be none other than the Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. Ole is 34 years old and known as the "Biathlon God" aka "King of the Sport." He's our version of Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, or Wayne Gretzky.

He is the absolute most-credited biathlete ever in the world of all time. He has won more world cup and Olympic Medals that anyone could ever deem possible. What makes him even more awesome is that at the 2002 Olympic Games, Norway allowed him to race in a regular Cross Country ski race. He not only competed against the best skiers in the world, but won adding another Gold medal to the three he already earned at those Games.

Joe had a hard workout planned for me and, after talking with Ole, found that he is planning something very similar. Joe informs me that "Today, you'll be following Ole and doing everything he does." I can't believe it! My training partner is going to be Ole Einar Bjoerndalen! Who could ask for a better training partner that Ole (The Best in the World)? The workout is totally hard, but it is the most exciting workout I have ever done. I follow him, roller skiing stride for stride on the rollerski track. Of all the world-class athletes I have previously trained with on the rollerski track I have never witnessed such a marvel. The way he floats on rollerskis, gliding up and down each hill while maintaining a steady speed, is incredible.

I also notice the shortness in length of his strides while in a V-2 on the up-hills and the long no-pole staking kicks on every downhill. He makes the rigors of rollerski tracks look easy. On the shooting range he always positions his shooting mat in a different direction to anyone else and will take over a dozen short quick breaths while on the mat and then hold his breath and shoot all five shots with spot-on accuracy. Just the overall way he goes about his daily training routine is of greater quality, spirit, and focus than of anyone I have ever seen. Obertilliach is awesome and the people who come here to train are even more awesome. Ole is good friends with my coach Joe, and when he comes, Joe usually helps him with clearing his targets, spotting his groups, zeroing, and anything else he needs.

I had seen Ole rollerskiing two other times, but the busyness of the range had always blocked any chance of meeting him. He seemed to arrive, get his workout in, and leave, with no time wasted. On this day he is much more relaxed and open to a conversation. I find Ole to be a well-mannered guy, very honest and respectful on the inside and of average human size on the outside. His physique seems rather small compared to many other professional biathletes and skiers I've seen training here. Ole even asks me questions and seems interested in my racing plans. On this day I became friends with Ole and will remember it for the rest of my life.