This is his first Olympic Winter Games so I can imagine he was under a lot of pressure – I remember clearly how I felt when I went to Beijing for my first Games. Watching him compete in his first event, the 10km sprint, I think I knew what he was going through. I know he did Team GB and Great Britain proud.
Biathlon requires brilliant stamina - and as a modern pentathlete, I know the dedication you need to have to master several disciplines. The skiing portion of the biathlon requires fast and physically demanding cross-country free technique racing, while the rifle shooting requires accuracy and control. I really like the analogy I heard recently that it’s like sprinting up 25 flights of stairs and, once at the top, trying to thread a needle five times in a row without once missing the hole.
Modern Pentathlon is the Summer Games’ equivalent – in fact, last year it was changed to include a new run/shoot discipline, making it even more like Biathlon. You can see from these pics of me training in France how similar the sports really are!
Once again, there are many different skills to master – whether it's running, shooting or swimming. And during the entire race, you are acutely aware of your competitors and how they might be doing in each discipline.
Lee-Steve is a clear example of what you tend to find in Olympic athletes – putting his mind to something and giving it his all, striving to achieve his dreams. I've no doubt we'll see plenty more of that over the next two weeks of Games action ahead!
