# WINTER OLYMPIC SPECIAL: An Insiders Guide to Cross Country Skiing and Biathlon

An episode of [The Real Science of Sport Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1461719225), 4 Feb 2026, 1 h 33 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/acast/s/realscienceofsport/e/69836a971976ad1237d7b706/media.mp3

Norwegian Oyvind Sandbakk is a specialist in the brutally tough world of cross-country skiing and biathlon. He is Sports Director at the Norwegian School of Elite Sports and a Professor II at the School of Sport Science at the UiT The Artic University of Norway. A former World Cup cross-country skier himself, Oyvind has worked with many of Norway's top athletes in Nordic sports. We delve into the technical details of both disciplines (including the dark art of waxing!), the gear involved in both sports, the physiology required to be one of the best in the world and what to watch for at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Show notes • The article referred to in the show about the importance of waxing, and the number of skis the athletes have • Here is Oyvind's research profile page with his university Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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