Bryhn and Brekne weren't lucky in Munich, but will head back to Northern Europe for more competitions
There was no glory for neither Ole Kristian Bryhn nor Odd Arne Brekne (pictured) – the two Norwegian finalists – at today's 50m Rifle Prone Men event at the ISSF World Cup in Munich. The former came seventh; the latter, fifth.
But – like Bryhn said – “we're not professionals.” Fair enough. “I started as a firefighter 2 years ago. It's very exciting. I'll have to work in the summer, that's why I'm not going to Maribor and Beijing [for the next ISSF World Cup Stages].” His job is pretty much the opposite of his sport. After trying to be as still as he can on the range, in fact, he runs around to stop fires. But he can find some similarities between the two anyway. “Many things are alike. In both situations you have to focus and do the right things.”
Even after a seventh place, Bryhn is not that disappointed. “It's ok,” he says. “Of course I was dreaming about the gold. But anyway, my favorite discipline is the 3 positions [whose final will take place next Thursday].”
His teammate Brekne has embarked on quite a different path. “I'm working with economics and accounting,” he explains. “We're involved with the private sector. Lots of different kinds of small businesses,” he points out accurately.
Brekne is not too hard on himself. “I was hoping for something better”, he says. “But it's only been one year that I've been shooting, so it's ok.”
Both Bryhn and Brekne live in small towns in Norway. Bryhn's is 40 kilometres south of Oslo; Brekne's, down in the South-East of the country. They both like it, even if – at times – that can be inconvenient. When Norwegian shooters meet for training camps (once a month), “It takes me 5 hours to drive there,” says the 29-year-old Brekne. Bryhn, 25, luckily gets away with an hour or so.
At the end of this month, “I'll be at the Nordic Championships and at the European Cup,” Bryhn says (to compete in the 300m discipline). Brekne will be there as well.
Munich wasn't a lucky one, but – back in Northern Europe – the two Norwegian shooters will have the chance to make up for that.