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Slovak biathlete Dušan Šimočko paid a visit to our office. He gave us an exclusive interview.

Dušan Šimočko is a two-time Winter Olympian (Turin 2006 and Vancouver 2010). His best result is 18th place from the 20 km race in Vancouver. At the world championships, he earned his best finish of 15th place in the 10 km sprint in Ruhpolding 2012. He won 1 gold and 1 silver medal at the summer biathlon world championships. He regularly represents Slovakia at the World Cup and IBU Cup competitions.

Dušan gave us his race suit which he wore in his three starts at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver as well as other souvenirs. We talked with him about biathlon, training, conditions and future plans. Enjoy the read.

Dušan, tell us about your biathlon beginnings. Why did you pick this sport and when did you take it up?

Hi all PPM players. I started with biathlon as a 9 year old because the rules allow shooting from an air gun from 9 years. I was introduced to biathlon by my father Dušan, a former biathlete and my lifelong coach. As child I was of course doing all kinds of sports and from 6 years of age I started with cross country skiing.

How does a biathlon training look like? How often do you train, what do you do in practices etc.

Biathlon training is very demanding and diverse because it is important to have both lower and upper body strength and to be able to cope with short and long distance. In the summer I do athletic running, cycling, roller skiing and I also spend a lot of time in the gym.

Slovak sportsmen often have to work in conditions which cannot be compared with the top countries. How is it in biathlon? Are there suitable conditions and funding for this sport?

Yes, unfortunately in this regard we cannot compare with the countries like Norway, Germany or Russia and that's why we often have to travel abroad. Mostly to Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Norway where we travel mainly because of the snow. The funding depends on the latest results and financial sources. The most important piece of equipment are the skis which require the most funds.

Psychology plays a big role in biathlon. When you need to hit the targets, it is often more about the mental strength than about the number of training hours. Do you work with a sports psychologist as part of your preparation?

It is true that the mental side is an important part of an athlete's performance and sportsmen often use the help of a sports psychologist. I personally work with Peter Bielik from Zvolen.

Biathlon is a sport which connects two very different discipines. Which one of them are you better at? Cross country skiing or shooting?

From the overall point of view, my stronger discipline is shooting, but the balance between shooting and skiing changes with age and experience. To be a good shooter you need to fire a large number of rounds and in biathlon you need to fire them after physical strain, so in general, marksmanship depends on the level of motoric learning and adaptation to changing conditions. In the junior categories I was a better skier than a shooter.

Which kind of shooting do you prefer? Prone or standing?

The position doesn't really matter for me personally... ha-ha :). The whole shooting performance comes down to the trigger (last phase before the shot) and that's why it doesn't matter if it's prone or standing.

This season we could only see you in two world cups. Why?

I'd like to know that too...! Perhaps it was destiny, because apart from being an athlete I have also become a father at the end of October of last year...

You didn't get to Sochi. Was that a big disappointment for you?

As I have mentioned, I had some kind of a consolation in my smiling daughter and the chance to be with her more than if I had gone to Sochi. Of course, it was disappointing for me to a certain extent becasue Winter Olympics are only once every four years and my whole preparation was geared up for these Olympics.

What are your nearest plans? Will you start at the remaining world cup events?

That depends on the decision of the national coach. The next biathlon even that I will take part in will be IBU CUP "European cup" in Martelli, Italy March 11-17, 2014.

Do you have any specific goals that you would like to achieve in biathlon?

I try to set my goals progressively so that I am not too disappointed when I don't achieve them. When I was in junior age, I wanted to get to the Olympics. After taking part in Turin 2006, I wanted to finish in the top 5 in Vancouver 2010. So that's a goal that I am yet to achieve...

Is it possible to make a living out of biathlon in Slovakia? Are you thinking what you will do after you retire?

I am employee of the army sports center Dukla Banská Bystrica and I have a military wage. If by making a living you mean cover the basic needs of myself, then yes... but I have a family, child, mortgage. Of course I need to think about what I am going to do when my career is over. I would like to continue with biathlon as a coach or someone who can pass on the experience forward.

What are your hobbies outside biathlon? Do you do other sports?

I have always been into computers and information technologies, communication with foreign sportspeople and travelling. Despite the fact that biathlon is my job, I also like other sports such as sports climbing, mountain biking, ski mountaineering.

We are glad that you started playing Ski Jump Mania. What do you think about the game?

I like the game a lot, but as a professional athlete I would like more action packed duel. The thing I like the most is the possibility to improve by doing tasks that this game offers.

Thank you and we wish you a lot of success!

Thank you too and I wish the whole PPM team a lot of satisfied players like myself! :)