“The results I needed to get to make the right changes”

For some athletes, it reads like a dream: a fixed place on the team. being the second best athlete of the season, a second place in the Nordic Combined TRIPLE, a total of six podiums and an incredible Olympic debut with two fourth place and a team silver medal. The highly ambitious Jarl Magnus Riiber takes this as an inspiration to reach higher, as he told TUESDAY TALK.

It was just announced that you changed you ski manufacturer? What were the reasons for your decision?

Riiber: Yes, I have changed all my equipment (jumping skis, ski boots and cross-country skis) after the Olympic season. This was a long term plan. I have learned a lot on the way with my former brand. But times goes on and new input is positive for my personal development.

Looking back on the past season, you have a very respectable Olympic debut to show for as well as six podiums, among them the second place in the Nordic Combined TRIPLE, making you into the second-most successful Norwegian on the tour. More individual wins were missing, though. Are you still satisfied with the past winter?

Riiber: I am humbled by being able to say I have been in the Olympic and also had an impact on the competition. To be honest, the missing individual wins and two times a fourth place at the Olympics were not the result I was looking for but perhaps these were the result I needed to get to make the right changes before next season.

What are your goals in the World Championship season 2018/19?

Riiber: After taking part in my first big championships this season, I see I have chances for podiums. So my goals is definitely achieving this.

In the World Cup, I hope I can continue with the positive stability I showed from Seefeld to Schonach. A full season without all the health problems would be nice as well. This will make it possible to fight for a good overall standing.

How do your summer plans look like for this year?

Riiber: I will be starting the summer with good focus on developing my ski jumping. For the July period I will be mostly home and spend some time there before we kick off some more competition training in August. After that I will try to have a more isolated lifestyle to keep myself healthy before the season start. But this will probably the most difficult thing to handle. (laughs)

Norway had a period with quite unusual heat this year. How does this actually affect the training, on the jumping hill and endurance side?

Riiber: I think it affects the training in a positive way. You see, that way we can have good doses of training and gets a good tan as well. (laughs) So we are very happy, because it will probably at least seven years until next time we get a long period with this weather. But  I have to say, the combination with jumping suits and the heat is perhaps the biggest endurance training we get during a year. (laughs)

The Lillehammer tour will contain the first Mass Start on World Cup level in 10 years. You already tested the format in the Norwegian nationals in April and also during the Oslo Skishow due to wind problems. You won in both cases. A first hint of things to come in the winter?

Riiber: Yes, I am happy the Mass Start is back. I think it shows a cool aspect of the jumping part and also as a part of the Lillehammer tour, it will be really interesting. And of course the confidence is higher when I have good memories from past successful competition to look back at.