Inventory:
Skiing: Rossignol
Sticks: Swix
Boots: Rossignol
Glasses: Oakley
Favorite World Cup tracks: Oberhof.
Liv Gret Shelbraid Poiret was born on July 7, 1974 in the Norwegian city of Bergen. She is the youngest of the three Shelbrade sisters (her older sisters are Ann Helen and Linda Christine Shelbrade).
As a child, Liv Gret was seriously involved in two sports - skiing and football, and she liked the latter much more. A little later, Liv, following Ann Helen, became interested in biathlon. Soon she was invited to a new sports school in Geilo. There, the young athlete studied in the same class with Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, and Odd Lirhus was their teacher.
The victories began in 1997, when Liv Gret, as part of the Norwegian team, became the world champion in the relay in Osrbli, as well as a three-time champion of Norway.
In the next Olympic year, Liv Gret, as part of the women's team, became the bronze medalist of the Olympic Games and the four-time champion of Norway. Season 1998/1999 Liv Gret finished in 5th place in the overall standings of the World Cup.
The beginning of the 1999-2000 season was unsuccessful for the Norwegian due to a serious illness. A few months before the start of the World Championships in Holmenkollen, doctors informed her that she might have to retire from the sport. However, after a course of treatment with strong antibiotics, Liv returned to training and, contrary to forecasts, became a two-time world champion in the sprint and mass start. Liv Gret married French biathlete Rafael Poiret in May.
The following season, the World Championship in Pokljuka became a triumph for Liv Gret - the athlete won two bronze medals, silver and gold. Liv Gret finished the season in 2nd place.
The 2001-2002 Olympic season was marked by Liv Gret's 6 World Cup victories and two Salt Lake City Olympic silver medals (individual and relay). For the second year in a row, the athlete finished the season in second place. After the departure of Magdalena Forsberg from big sport in 2002, experts called Liv Gret her successor. However, Madame Poiret missed the 2002/2003 season, as her daughter Emma was born.
The 2003/2004 season can be safely called the season of the Poiret couple. Liv Gret has seven individual victories and a podium finish in 7 out of 9 World Cups. At the World Championships in Oberhof, she became the first athlete in biathlon history to win 4 out of 5 possible gold medals (sprint, pursuit, relay and mass start). Liv Gret became the owner of the Big Crystal Globe at the end of the season, and also won 4 Small Crystal Globes in the sprint, pursuit, relay and mass start.
The 2004-2005 season was the most unsuccessful in the career of a Norwegian biathlete. Main coach Odd Lierhus cites two reasons for the women's national team: the late start of pre-season due to the tragedy in the Shelbraid family and rather adventurous changes in the training scheme. After the only victory of the season in Östersund, there was hope for the return of Liv Gret, but her daughter's illness, injury and her own illness did not allow Liv Gret to finish the season on a high note.
The Olympic Games in Turin did not work out for Liv Gret, she could not win a single award. There were also no outstanding results in the 2005-2006 World Cup. At the end of the Olympic Games, Liv Gret announced that the last stage of the World Cup in Holmenkollen would be the last in her international career: "I'm doing this for Emma and for my family. I don't have enough motivation to continue my career."
In her free time, Liv Gret enjoys walking and hiking, as well as movies.
On last Saturday in Raubichi “Race of Legends” from biathlon celebrities rippled in the eyes. Sven Fischer, Michael Greis, Ricco Gross... And for women, one of the brightest stars was a NorwegianLiv Grete Poiret - eight-time world champion and ex-wife of the equally famous Frenchman Rafael Poiret.He, as we remember, managed to train the men's team of Belarus. Liv-Grete, also known by her maiden name Shelbrade, retired in 2006. Now the Scandinavian is already 41, but she is still charming, attractive and very smiling. In Raubichi, the participants of the “Race of Legends” program was scheduled by the minute, and it was not so easy to make a detailed interview with one of them. However, Poiret kindly gave the PB correspondent a quarter of an hour.
- What emotions did you experience while participating in the “Race of Legends”?
- Oh, this is very fun and funny! The competitions themselves were held in an interesting fight, it was exciting. But the main thing is to meet old friends, with those with whom in the past they performed together for more than one season and just had a good time.
Do you rarely see them now?
- Yes, almost never. Some have not met for ten years - since she ended her career. And some people left biathlon even earlier, so they didn’t meet even longer. For example, Galina Kukleva - I don’t even remember when we last saw each other. Well, the more pleasant it is to talk in Raubichi!
- How did you feel while rollerskiing?
- To be honest, I have already lost the habit of them. Over the past ten years, I got up on roller skates three or four times, no more. Maybe that's why my speed left much to be desired. However, this is understandable. Now I don’t have the same body, not the same muscles as in the seasons of active performances. However, the body remembers everything. Therefore, we continue to willingly participate in such competitions.
- Were you upset that you didn't win any of the Raubichi races?
- No, what are you. Of course, it's always nice to win, but the current competitions are more like a show and a meeting with old friends. At the same time, in the super sprint, I was close to first place, so I performed well. True, Florence Baverel-Robert was even faster, so congratulations to her!
- How do you like the organization and atmosphere of the "Race of Legends"?
- This is something incredible! It's nice to see that so many people came to Raubichi to see us. Very good. Therefore, I would like to thank Daria Domracheva, who invited us to Belarus. Thanks to her, I experienced wonderful emotions.
- Is this your first time in our country?
Yes, I have never come before. I liked Belarus - you can feel that there are great people here.
Your ex-husband Rafael Poiret coached the Belarusian men's team several years ago. Did he talk about his experience?
- Even quite a lot - about races, conditions for training. I remember Rafael also stressed that there are many good people in Belarus.
Why did he leave so quickly?
- It was not so easy for him to work - at least because of the language barrier. I had to speak English, which is not Rafael's native language. Probably, smoother communication is needed for successful work, when you have the opportunity to clearly communicate your requirements to athletes.
- Daria Domracheva invited you to the Race of Legends. Are you familiar with her?
- I won't say very much. However, we can talk when we see each other. This is an outstanding athlete of our time. Today she is the best in the world.
- What makes Dasha so phenomenal?
- Of course, she trains well. But even more important is character. It can be seen that Domracheva is a purposeful person who gives all her best in order to complete the assigned tasks. This is very important in our sport. And, of course, excellent technique, excellent physical shape. In short, there is a whole range of factors contributing to success. And Dasha, it seems to me, is not arrogant. I don't know her very well, but that's the impression I get. I see that she willingly communicates with other athletes, even if she is much stronger than them.
- Due to illness, Daria misses the next season. Do you think this is the right decision?
Right now, yes, for sure. When you have an injury or illness, you need to carefully listen to the body every day. If you feel that it is better not to perform for some time, then it is not worth the risk. On the other hand, after some time the situation may change. But now Daria clearly needs time to completely get rid of the disease. At this stage, this is the most important thing for her. Because if you rush and force things, then later you can lose many years. I know what I'm talking about - I myself suffered from injuries and illnesses.
- Who do you think is the favorite of the upcoming season in the absence of Domracheva?
- I do not know. A lot will depend on Kaisa Mäkäräinen's shooting. She runs, as we know, very fast, all that remains is to hit the targets just as steadily. However, there are other girls. You know, it's hard to predict at all: the new season will be a new challenge for many athletes.
- Do you regularly watch races on TV?
Yes, it still makes me happy. I watch almost all major competitions. It has become a profession to some extent - I work for the Norwegian TV channel NRK as a biathlon expert. I go to some races myself.
- Now this is your main occupation?
- It's more of a seasonal job. After all, races are held only in winter. In general, I have a hotel that I bought a few years ago. It is located in the place where I grew up and still live. It takes a lot of time to manage.
Do you miss the days when you raced?
- Of course. But time passes - I'm not twenty years old anymore. This is a natural process, you have to finish sometime. And so lucky - I was able to perform for many seasons. She ended her career at the right moment. It's time for younger biathletes.
- But Ole Einar Bjoerndalen is your age, and is still in the ranks ...
- Ha-ha! Indeed, he is in no hurry to retire. But I'm not Bjoerndalen!
Do you understand his motivation?
- The man won everything that is possible. However, biathlon is his life. Since he still likes it, I treat it with great respect. And for me, sixteen years of a career is more than enough. I could probably stay in the race for another one or two seasons. True, already at that time the eldest daughter Emma was born, it was necessary to pay more attention to her. At first, I even took her to races, but it was hard, the child was often sick. Therefore, at the age of 32, I said to myself: stop, that's enough. And ended her career.
- Was it difficult to adjust to a normal life?
- In the first year, on the contrary, I felt relief. No pressure, no training, everything is calm and measured. I took care of my family. But in the second or third year, everything changed. There was a feeling that something was missing. Races, competitions, all this exciting process. But what to do - over time I got used to living in a new rhythm.
- Do you regret something in your career? Perhaps that you never managed to win Olympic gold? ..
- There is nothing to regret. I tried my best. Yes, she did not win the Olympics, but she became the world champion eight times. And in general, spent a lot of great races.
- Which one is the most memorable?
- Most often I remember the World Cup, which was held in Oslo. This is an important moment in your career. In general, there were so many competitions and it is not easy to single out something.
- What else do you associate Belarusian biathlon with, besides Domracheva?
- Oh, now you have a good women's team, strong and progressing girls. I think they will have a good chance in the relay in the new season. If they add a little bit compared to last season, then I suppose we will often see them on the podium. There are guys who are also growing. In biathlon, it is important to progress steadily - year after year. You train not just one season, but many.
- You and Rafael Poiret have three daughters. With such genes, they have a direct road to biathlon?
I don't pressure them in any way. Let the girls decide for themselves. If they want - for God's sake, I will only support their choice. All three are trying to do biathlon. One also plays football. But what happens next is up to them. Will they go to sports or study for another profession? In life, a person must determine his own path. I'm glad my daughters are doing well. Rafael and I did not manage to save the family, but the main thing is that the children are comfortable. By the way, my ex-husband stayed in Norway and settled very close to me, so we still see each other regularly. We do not live together, but we have maintained good relations - one might say, even friendly ones. We are connected by many things - by no means only biathlon.
- Is it true that you were fond of football as a child?
- Ha, you have the right information - until the age of fifteen she constantly played.
- Could you become a professional?
- Hardly. In football, I felt best without the ball! I knew how to run well even then, but the technique was lame, it was not so cool to handle the ball directly. In general, I grew up as an athletic girl. She also did rowing...
- And what did you like more in biathlon - skiing or shooting?
- It's hard to choose. It seems that there is only one sport, but these activities are so different from each other ... Perhaps, I still preferred to shoot. When you close the target - it's such a pleasure! A unique feeling.
Daria Domracheva used to shoot at someone else's target, confusing "stand" with "prone" ... Has anything like this happened to you?
- I also somehow managed to shoot at the wrong target! It's funny, of course, but it happens in biathlon. Sometimes you concentrate too much - probably, from excessive stress, such incidents occur.
Liv Gret Skjelbreid (Poiret) was born on July 7, 1974 in Bergen, Norway. We do not know what the childhood of the legendary biathlete was like. However, one can easily assume that Liv Gret trained a lot if she competed at the World Championship at the age of 18….
The Norwegian athlete achieved her first serious success in 1997 at the World Championships, when she took second place in the relay. The silver medal brought popularity to Liv Gret, and self-confidence came by itself.
The following year, Poiret took bronze at Olympic Games, and in 2000 she won two gold medals at the World Championships, performing best in the sprint and mass start.
At the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Liv Gret Poiret was considered the main contender for victory, but she had to give way to her competitors. The reason for this was stomach problems, which, unfortunately, worsened during the competition. This significantly prevented Liv Gret from winning "gold" - she had to be content with "silver".
The doctor of the Norwegian team Lars Kolsrud tried to understand the causes of the athlete's illness and it turned out that in August 1999, Liv Gret was poisoned by a stale chicken, after which she injured her stomach. Other causes of Liv Gret's problems were also considered - constant stress, physical effort, holding competitions in the highlands ... The loads that the biathlete endured were simply prohibitive.
In the mid-nineties, Liv Gret began a romantic relationship with Rafael Poiret.
The French biathlete drew attention to his future wife back in 1992, when he first saw her at the World Junior Championships (WCH). However, the young people never got to know each other - Poiret did not dare to approach the charming Liv Gret, and she did not show interest in him.
Four years later, they met again and still became friends. In an interview, Rafael recalls: “I plucked up the courage and told Liv Gret that I liked her. That's how it all started..."
In the summer of 2001, Liv Gret got married. In the biathlon world, they called the pair ideal - they really suited each other great. After the wedding, the biathlete began performing under the double surname Skjelbreid-Poiret, but then abandoned her maiden name.
Family happiness affected sports career biathletes. In the 2002/03 season, the Norwegian was forced to hang up her rifle - Liv Gret was pregnant.
On January 27, 2003, Liv Gret gave birth to Emma. Rafael was present at the birth, urgently flying out of Italy, where the next stage of the World Cup was taking place. An interesting coincidence - the daughter's birthday coincided with the date of birth of Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. This is really a biathlon family!
Liv Gret surprisingly quickly got in shape and returned to the track in 2004. It was during this season that Poiret's career flourished. The return to the snow was more than successful - the Norwegian became the winner of the World Cup, and won four gold medals at the World Championships in Oberhof, leaving her rivals far behind! Such a major success was the first in the history of the Norwegian biathlon.
Detractors immediately spread rumors that Liv Gret was doping. When asked by journalists about whether this is really the case, Poiret replied: "Everyone is clean until they are caught."
The couple began to take their daughter Emma to all competitions. “A child is the best achievement of a person,” Rafael admitted in an interview. “Let us not get enough sleep, but every day we see our beautiful daughter.” In January 2005, such love for the child turned into a serious illness for Emma. During the World Cup stage, she was hospitalized with a diagnosis of pneumonia and a temperature of over forty. It is not surprising that such a state of the daughter was reflected in the sports success of her mother - the next day, Liv Gret failed the relay. Bitter experience taught parents to protect the health of the child and Emma was no longer taken to the competition.
At the Olympic Games in Turin, Liv Gret performed unsuccessfully. She failed to win a single award and after that she decided to end her sports career.
I want to quit biathlon because of Emma and the rest of my family,” Liv Gret said. - I had a good childhood, and I want my daughter to have the same.
Liv Grete Poiret has a lot of fans. There are fan clubs of this athlete not only in her homeland in Norway, but also in other countries of the world. Biathlon fans will never forget Liv Gret's success and her smile sparkling with fun.
Achievements of Liv Grete Poiret
Winter Olympics:
1998: relay bronze medal
2002: 2 silver medals (individual, relay)
World Championships:
1997: silver medal (relay)
2000: two gold medals (sprint, mass start)
2001: gold medal (pursuit), silver medal (individual), two bronze medals (mass start, sprint)
2004: four gold medals (sprint, pursuit, mass start, relay)
World Cups:
Season 2000/01: second place
Season 2001/02: second place
Season 2003/04: first place
Photo: www.biathlonphotos.narod.ru
Alexander Ermoshin, special correspondent of SportObzor.ru magazine
Today, Rafael Poiret, one of the most titled French biathletes, turns 39 years old. "SE" recalls the brightest moments in the career of multiple world champion.
Rafael Poiret was born on August 9, 1974 in Riva and grew up in La Chapelle-en-Vercourt, where he started biathlon. He made his debut in the World Cup in 1996, finishing 17th at the end of the season. The Frenchman won his first victory at the cup stage in 1998 in Ruhpolding and finished fifth in the overall standings. Since then, Rafael has not fallen below this place. Poiret won his first personal gold medal at the World Championships in 2000 in the mass start at Holmenkollen.
One of the most titled French biathletes took part in the Olympic Games three times - in Nagano 1998, Salt Lake City 2002 and Turin 2006 - but he never became an Olympic champion. The Olympics in Salt Lake City was the most successful of the three for Poiret: silver in the pursuit race and bronze in the relay. In Italian Turin, he had to be content with only a bronze medal in the relay.
In Salt Lake City, Rafael and his wife Liv Grete Poiret became the first ever winter olympics a married couple taking the medals of the Games to different countries. Rafael was second in the pursuit, repeating his wife's achievement in the individual 15 km race.
With his future wife - Norwegian biathlete Liv Gret Shelbreit - Rafael met in 1992 during the junior world championship. Eight years later, in May 2000, the couple got married, and since then three girls have been born in their family - Emma, Anna and Lena.
To all questions about whether it’s hard for a married couple to train together, but to perform under different flags, Rafael Poiret answered that it doesn’t matter to them. "I know that Liv Gret owes her success, and she thanks me for her victories," he added.
The World Championship in Oberhof in 2004 was a truly triumphant for the Poiret spouses. Rafael won three gold, one silver and one bronze medals, and his wife surpassed her husband by putting four gold into the family piggy bank.
After such a triumph, the Frenchman and Norwegian began to be called "Team Poiret". But it was by no means a journalistic find. It was under this name that the biathlon family settled in one of the small hotels near Oberhof.
In total, during his career, Rafael became the world champion eight times.
Rafael decided to end his sports career in 2007. In the last race (in the 15 km mass tart at the World Cup in Holmenkollen), he lost only a few centimeters to his eternal rival Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. The result of this confrontation was decided by a photo finish.
In 2011, the couple became the happy owners of their own hotel - Skjelbreid Poiree. It is located in the Norwegian municipality of Bergen. " We have invested our own money in the arrangement of this hotel, - said Liv Gret. - We do not expect that our venture will pay off in the first years, but we expect it t business will bring us profit in the future."The hotel is located on land owned by Liv's sister Gret Ann-Helen and her husband, Egil Yelann, who were also former ia tlonists.
After completing his career, Poiret managed to work as a coach with French and Norwegian biathletes. And in 2012, the Frenchman led the men's team of Belarus. “In fact, this decision was not unusual for me,” Poiret explained his decision. “I finished all my business in Norway, where my hotel was being built, and was looking for something new. I got a call from one of my best friends, who is preparing skis for the Belarusian national team, and said that a good coach is needed.In May, I came to this country for three days to look at the guys and talk with the management.We quickly understood each other, the offer was very interesting for me, I discussed him with his wife, and she fully supported me. So I agreed." However, already in April of this year, the Frenchman left his post.
At the end of 2009, the eight-time world champion had a severe accident. He rode with his daughter on an ATV and crashed into a snowdrift. The car overturned, the Frenchman managed to protect the child, but he himself was under the ATV. With severe injuries, Poiret was taken to the hospital and underwent an operation that lasted 12 hours.
“For three days it was incredibly difficult for me,” the Frenchman admitted. “I was unable to take medicine, I was tormented by pneumonia, I could hardly breathe. Only the thought of children helped me not to give up. Later, the doctors said that I was lucky : a couple of centimeters in the other direction - and I would have remained paralyzed.
Liv Gret and Rafael Poiret were considered one of the strongest married couples in world biathlon, but in July this year, the couple's fans were in for some unpleasant news: after 13 years of marriage, the couple decided to divorce. “We decided to get a divorce, but we will still remain best friends and closest neighbors. It was our common decision, and at the same time we will still be one family,” the athletes said in a press statement.
Liv Grete was born on July 7, 1974 near Bergen. The youngest of the three daughters of Knut and Oddrun Shelbraid, she began her skiing career with a 4th place in the Holdhus Cup in 1980. In 1987, she was unrivaled in the West Norway Cup: she made a double. Then she was seriously involved in football. However, preference was given to winter sports when she received an invitation from the new biathlon school in Geilo to enroll in studies and training. Liv Grete studied with Od Einar Bjoerndalen under the guidance of Odd Lirhus (coach of the Norwegian women's team from 2003 to 2006).
The debut in the national team took place in 1995, at the same time she won the first medal of the Norwegian championship - silver in the sprint. In 1997, the first individual gold was won. At the moment, Liv Grete is the owner of the largest number of gold medals in the Norwegian Championship - 13 medals.
In 1998, at the World Cup in Ruhpolding, Liv Grete climbed the podium for the first time in her career, taking second place in the 15 km race. The first victory came in 1999 in Oberhof, where Liv Grete won the sprint. During her career, she rose to the highest step of the podium 22 times, became second 15 times and third third 9 times. Two years in a row she took second place in the overall standings of the World Cup (2000/2001, 2001/2002), once took the Big Crystal Globe (2003/2004).
Liv Grete has competed in three Olympic Games. In Nagano'98, she entered the relay team that won bronze. In Salt Lake City '02, Norwegian biathletes won silver, and Liv Grete took second place in the 15 km race - the first individual Olympic medal in the history of Norwegian women's biathlon. The Olympic Games'06 brought no medals to the Norwegian.
Liv Grete is one of the most titled biathletes in Norway, she has 8 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals at the World Championships. The debut world championship was Ruhpolding'96 and 7th place in the sprint. World Cup '00 in Holmenkollen brought Liv Grete two medals of the highest value: gold in the sprint and mass start. It was after that championship that she became a national favorite. At the World Cup'01 in Pokljuka, Liv Grete became the first biathlete to climb the podium in all individual races. In Oberhof'04, she won 4 gold medals out of 5 possible - this happened for the first time in the history of women's biathlon.
Before the beginning last stage season 2005-2006 in Holmenkollen Liv Grete announced her retirement.
In May 2000, Liv Grete married French biathlete Rafael Poiret. However, after a long and seemingly happy marriage, in July 2013 the legendary couple announced their divorce; continue to raise their daughters together: Emma (born January 27, 2003), Anna (born January 10, 2007) and Lena (born October 10, 2008).
Liv Grete is an expert commentator for the Norwegian TV channel NRK and has worked for biathlon races in Norway as well as for the World Championships.
