Hattestad takes new coaching role with Norwegian womens team

Ola Vigen Hattestad (38) is hired as a new Cross-Country trainer in the Norwegian Women's Elite coaching team.

Ola has a valuable experience in the role of coach. As a "recently retired athlete", Ola has competed in the same World Cup seasons with several of the runners on the team, as well as fresh national team experience from Slovenian Cross-Country skiing for the past two years.

Former Olympic winner and world sprint champion admits to missing Norway and is looking forward to the exciting challenge of training the world's best ski girls. 
"I couldn't let go of this opportunity, although the family may not have been as clear-minded at the time," says Ola Vigen Hattestad, who looks forward to working in team with head coach Ole Morten Iversen. 
"I hope I can contribute with my sprint skills and carry on the good work already established in the team," says Ola, who is now ending two interesting and educational years in Slovenia with good relationships it will be tough to say goodbye. 
"Mutual relationships are important to me as a coach, and of course I want to work for that in my new role as well," says Ola, who is looking forward to bringing her family home to the house in Mesnali again during the summer.

"Both the women and I look forward to getting Ola, with his recent experience as both national team coach and top-level athlete, into the coaching team at the Women's Elite," says head coach Ole Morten Iversen. "Ola knows many of the women from before and is well acquainted with our training philosophy and knows what is required. With his background as one of the best sprinters in the world, Ola will be able to continue former coach Geir Endre Rogn's good work with the established sprint focus for the upcoming World Cup in Oberstdorf 2021 and the Beijing 2022 Olympics."

"Ola Vigen Hattestad is, with his qualities and rare experience - both practicing and training in the near past - for us the right candidate to fill the role of coach in Ole Morten Iversen's women's coaching team," says cross-country manager Espen Bjervig. 
"We have had a dialogue with Ola since he resigned as a skier in 2018 and of course also recorded his good results in the coach work over the last two years. It was therefore natural to vent Ola's interest even when we were to fill this role. We have also had conversations with other interesting candidates and applicants for the coaching job in parallel during the advertising period," says Bjervig.

Ola Vigen Hattestad competed in the World Cup for 15 seasons in the period 2003 to 2018. He became Olympic champion in individual sprint during the Sochi 2014 Olympics. from Oslo 2011 and a World Cup bronze in individual sprint from Falun 2015. He has started 117 times in the World Cup and has stood on the podium 38 times, 17 of which win (13 times individually). He has won the World Cup in sprint three times in 2008, 2009 and 2014.