Olympics-Biathlon-Dad’s the word as fathers get set for Winter Games biathlon battle

By Philip O’Connor

ANTERSELVA, Italy, Feb 7 (Reuters) – While Scandinavia is famous for its hands-on “latte pappas”, Olympic biathletes Johannes Dale-Skjevdal and Sebastian Samuelsson say the demands of their sport leave little room for cafe mornings ‍and playground duty, forcing them to put family life on hold when the Games begin.

Norwegian Dale-Skjevdal, who lights up at the mention of his five-month-old son, and Swede Samuelsson, father to a daughter approaching two, will face off in Tuesday’s men’s 20km individual race with their children watching from afar.

Samuelsson’s family will visit him in Anterselva, ‌but Dale-Skjevdal decided the Olympic bubble was no place ‌for an infant, choosing routine over rings.

“They were in Ruhpolding (in Germany) at the last World Cup we raced before the Olympics, and they also joined me for one week in the pre-camp in Lavazza, so I think that was good for them,” ​the Norwegian said.

“But I think for the Olympics it will be a lot of mess and a lot of hectic days, no dad time — ‍he’s five months old, so to be here ​with all the stress, I think it’s good (for him) to ​be home.”

Generous parental leave has made active fatherhood a Scandinavian hallmark, yet Samuelsson ‍said the calendar of a top biathlete leaves little chance to join Sweden’s celebrated ranks of “latte pappas”.

“When I’m training a lot at home, I train before and after lunch, and then I have a lot of time in between, so I’ve had a lot of time with her,” he said.

“She’ll ‍be two in May, so now it’s just getting more and more fun – she’s hanging out with me and understands me more, and she’s starting to say a ‍few more words.”

Since becoming ‍a dad, Samuelsson can barely remember what it was ​like when he was young and free, winning a gold ​medal ⁠in the relay at his first Olympics in Pyeongchang eight ‌years ago.

“I think that eight years is a long time in life, especially if you were 21 then and now you are almost 30. A lot happens in the time in between, and being a parent is a part of that, but I think I have become a bit more wise,” he said.

(Reporting by Philip O’Connor; ⁠Editing by Ken Ferris)