Athlete profile: Bente Martinsen

Posted: Tue February 3, 1998 at 5:00 PM ET

Athlete notes

Competing for a team of many veterans, Martinsen is one of Norway's brightest and youngest stars...at the 1997 World Championships in Trondheim, Martinsen was the only member of the Norwegian 4x5 km relay team under 30 years of age...with much of the team passing their prime, Martinsen will be one of those called upon to step up her skiing in the upcoming Olympics -- especially in the relay Events, where Norway has finished second to the powerful Russians at every Olympics since 1984..."If we shall win the gold in Nagano, then we will have to be optimal in the first two legs," says women's national team coach Sindre Bergan...Bente skied the first leg in Trondheim and looks to be placed in the same position of having to start strong in Japan..."We need to have a gap of at least 30 seconds after the classic portion, and then things will be interesting," says Bergan...Martinsen prefers the classic style, though her first Olympic experience was in the 30 km freestyle in Lillehammer..."I don't remember anything from those Olympics, really," she says. "I was new there, so there were many new people. It was a little scary even"...Bente's World Cup ranking has improved steadily each year since 1994...seven positions from 1994 to 1995, 13 spots the next year and most recently, six places, Eventsually finishing at number six in the overall standings..."I'm older, stronger," says Martinsen about her impressive improvement. "I have had more training. You learn a little bit every year. I think it is a combination of everything"...she has also learned from the older members of her team like Marit Mikkelsplass and Elin Nilson, who is the best skater on the team..."We have very strong people that are older," she says. "The most important thing they taught me was to trust myself"...Bente trusts she will be prepared for the Olympics..."I will do everything I can to be ready for the Games," she says. "I'm really looking forward to going over to Japan"...Bente started skiing after her best friend enticed her to try the sport when she was little...her friend quit when she was 20, but Bente, who won the first Events she ever entered when she was 12, has risen to be one of the top skiers in the world...at home, Bente lives in an apartment in her parents house...her town of Nittedal is just 20 minutes outside of Oslo, where Bente often visits...Bente spends much of her summer at her family's hytte (hoo-tuh), or cabin, in the middle of Norway as well as the national team training camps...Martinsen went with her boyfriend on his autumn bird-hunting trip, but did not partake in the festivities...Bente speaks pretty good English and is called "Marta" by most of her friends and family...