Oslo (AFP)

Norway's Ole Einar Bjørndalen, the "king of biathlon", who hung up the rifle and spatula last year, will become the coach of Chinese biathletes in preparation for the Beijing Winter Olympics of 2022. he announced Thursday.

His multi-medal wife, Belarussian Darya Domracheva, will also take the reins of the Chinese women's team, announced the two champions in a statement.

"Starting today, we are launching the daily training process and will be happy to share our many years of experience with the team hosting the next Olympic Winter Games," said Bjørndalen.

The most successful male athlete in Olympic Winter Games history, Bjørndalen, 45, won 13 Olympic medals (8 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze) during his long career on the professional circuit, which began in March. 1993.

"King Ole", also known as "The Cannibal", has also won 20 world championships, six big crystal globes - a record erased by Frenchman Martin Fourcade-- and 95 individual victories, including one in cross-country skiing, for a total of 179 podiums in the World Cup.

The 33-year-old Domracheva has been a four-time Olympic champion. She had also ended her career last year.

"We are, of course, happy to take this opportunity to help our favorite sport grow around the world, in and for a country where biathlon and all winter sports have huge potential," she said. , quoted in the press release.

© 2019 AFP