Last year, the traditional cross-country skiing talent from southern Norway joined the private Bærums-based team Team Vestmarka Fleischer Finans. It was a huge success. This year he’s going one step further: He’s moving in with U23 World Champion Aleksander Elde Holmboe and his twin brother Nikolai in Bærum.

“I think it’s going to be great. Being able to have daily joint training sessions with them and the rest of the team, I think it will take me up another notch this season. That’s why I’m moving from Lillehammer now,” says Sondre Østervold to Langrenn.com.

Both Holmboe twins were part of Team Vestmarka Fleischer Finans when the 20-year-old from Vindbjart IL in Vennesla joined the team last year.

Last winter, Aleksander won gold in the sprint at the U23 World Championships in Planica. He has now joined the regional team Elon Oslofjord for the coming season, while Nikolai and Sondre will continue in Team Vestmarka Fleischer Finans.

However, they will still see a lot of each other in everyday life, both in training and socially.

“But the studio has its own entrance, so I can close the door if there’s too much of a good thing,” says Østervold jokingly.

He’s convinced that more follow-up in everyday life, and not just at meetings and races, could be the key to taking the next step.

Want to go to the World Championships

The ambition is first and foremost to improve enough to make the squad for the U23 World Championships, and the quota places for U23 runners for the World Cup and World Championships in Trondheim.

“I’ve taken some steps this winter, both in sprint and distance. Everyone is at a high level, and I’ve built up a good pace. So, I think I should be able to compete in the finals in the senior class,” says Østervold, and continues:

“I’ve done some good prologues at senior level, but I’ve had some bad luck in the heats. So I know I have the speed required, but I need to work on keeping up throughout the competition. It would be great if I can improve so much that I can be part of the discussion about competing in one of the distances at the World Cup in Lillehammer in December.

“My dream is of course to become the best in the world.”

“That’s probably a few years away. But I take one season at a time, and if I see progress from year to year, it’s motivating,” says Østervold, adding that he has beaten U23 World Champion Aleksander Elde Holmboe in the sprint.

“I’ve beaten him in some sessions, not in competition yet, but the speed is there.”

What does it take to make the step up there?

“I need to work on improving my basic fitness over the summer so that I come into the season stronger and better equipped.

A World Cup racer in the long run

As a first-year senior this winter, Østervold took his first top-10 place at senior level and delivered several strong performances in the Norwegian Cup.

Coach Eirik Asdøl believes the second-year senior has great opportunities to succeed, and that the U23 World Cup this winter is realistic.

“I think he has the potential to become a World Cup skier in the long term. The World Championships in Granåsen this winter will probably come a year too early, but the U23 World Championships already next season is a natural goal,” says Asdøl to Langrenn.com.

“He’s curious and works purposefully to chase new seconds, which I hope we in the team can help him achieve. He sees solutions rather than problems, with an eye on the future. He is structured and uncompromising where necessary. The fact that he’s now moving here to optimize his efforts is an example of that.

The Vestmarka coach has also sent two racers on to the national team this year: In addition to Aleksander Elde Holmboe, first-year senior Helene Ekrheim Haugen has also joined Team Elon Oslofjord.

Last spring, the coach’s brother Håkon Asdøl made his breakthrough in the World Cup when he went straight to the final of the sprint in Falun, which was also his World Cup debut.

The fact that the young man from Søgne outside Kristiansand ended up at Team Vestmarka Fleischer Finans was partly a coincidence. He had several other offers on the table, and the team is basically a venture for local runners from clubs in Asker and Bærum. But in individual cases, athletes from outside the district are also considered.

The southerner had good results to show from the last junior season, including an individual national championship medal in sprinting and a national championship gold medal in relay, and was offered a place in Team Vestmarka Fleischer Finans. 

“I got a tip from a friend to apply for the team. I didn’t know anyone on the team beforehand other than that I knew they were good at skiing fast, but the coach Eirik Asdøl was very good at selling the team. It felt like they were really keen to get me on the team, so I ended up choosing it,” says Østervold, and continues:

“I really took it completely ‘sight unseen’, so it was exciting to meet them for the first time. But they’re very inclusive and I was very well received, so we quickly became a nice group. There’s an incredibly good environment in the group.”

900 training hours and full-time studies

In the coming season, Østervold plans to train around 900 hours. That’s slightly more than before. The actual structure of the training program will be the same as before, but the content will have a slightly different focus this year.

How do you plan your training?

“This summer I’ll be focusing on quantity, as well as completing good quality hard sessions. For me, that means two to three hard sessions a week. It’s a bit different from what other people do, but it’s what I’ve found that I benefit from and that will raise my level.”

Sondre Østervold is also studying economics full-time at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences. “So far it’s been easy to combine.”

“The way the course is structured at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, there are no compulsory lectures, so you can study remotely. But it does require you to be a little structured in your everyday life, and make sure you read between sessions. It’s gone well so far.”