“If I don’t perform to my potential by this winter, it’ll be tough to continue. I’m not looking at a five- or six-year perspective. I need to make it work now, and I’m under pressure,” Sindre Bjørnestad Skar told Adresseavisen. Illness and injuries have plagued the 32-year-old from Bærums Værk and Hauger IF for several seasons. The sprint national team veteran competed in just one World Cup race last winter: the city sprint in Drammen in mid-March. There, Skar finished 16th after placing 28th in the prologue.

According to Langrenn.com, Drammen was also where Skar competed in his first World Cup race back in 2011, finishing 28th. Since then, he has earned 17 podium finishes in World Cup events out of the 99 races he has entered, including four victories. His most recent win was in the team sprint in Planica in 2019.

Skar’s best championship result to date is a seventh place in the sprint at the 2019 World Championships in Seefeld. He now dreams of improving this at the World Championships on home turf in Trondheim, while being outside the national team setup. For this, he has brought in Tor Arne Hetland as his coach.

Tor Arne Hetland has an impressive resume both as an athlete and a coach.

The 50-year-old has a long career with the Norwegian national team, from 1995 to 2009, including an Olympic gold medal in the sprint at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. He also won silver in the team sprint at the 2006 Olympics. Hetland’s resume includes five World Championship medals, three of which are gold (sprint and relay in 2001, and team sprint in 2005).

After retiring from competitive skiing, Hetland coached in Germany, Switzerland, and Canada, as well as with the Norwegian men’s team from 2016 to 2018. However, he stepped down after the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics. One reason for his departure was said to be his leadership style and communication issues, which Hetland himself was surprised by.

From 2018 to 2020, Hetland served as a coach and leader for part of China’s cross-country skiing program in preparation for the Beijing Olympics. He was responsible for the Chinese skiers in Meråker. In 2022, Hetland was an expert commentator for Discovery+ during the Beijing Olympics.

He was also considered for the position of assistant coach for the women’s elite team in 2022, but Stig Rune Kveen ultimately got the job. Now, Hetland has a new role: as coach for Sindre Bjørnestad Skar.

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