PyeongChang, Korea, January 29, 2024: As an experienced cross-country skier at the Olympic Winter Games, Iran’s national youth coach Samaneh Beyrami Baher has plenty of advice for her three skiers at Gangwon 2024.
Iran had three athletes in the cross-country sprint races at the Alpensia Biathlon Centre on Monday – Parastoo Absalan and Melika Mirzaeidizaj in the women’s event and Amir Mohammad Abolhassanzadeh Amghani in the men’s race.
All three athletes are 16 years old and competing in only their second event outside of Iran, the first being in Kazakhstan a few weeks ago.
Although they were a long way from finishing in the top 30 in order to qualify for the quarter-finals, coach Samaneh declared herself “totally satisfied” with their performance.
“They were sure in their technique, good in uphill and downhill and flat area, and they finished the race, so I am satisfied,” she said.
As for the long journey ahead for the three teenagers, Samaneh added: “I want them to know that cross-country skiing is not like a speed sport.
“They have to train too much. They have to spend too much on training for their resistance and they have to train too much for their muscles, so it takes too much time to achieve their best performance. They need to be patient and try for their goals and not give up.”
Samaneh, 32, has competed with the national cross-country team for 13 years and was the flagbearer for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. She also participated in five world championships and recorded a top-10 finish in qualification at Slovenia in 2021.
She was asked to coach the youth team for the Winter YOG and was thrilled to return to the same region of Korea where she represented her country six years ago.
“We trained for more than six months together and now we did it,” she said.
“I am trying for one more Olympic Games as an athlete. I haven’t got the points yet but will try for that at the world championships in Norway.”