ANTERSELVA, Italy, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Norway's Johannes Dale-Skjevdal says the team's rivals should not underestimate the traditional superpower when the Olympic biathlon competitions get under way on Sunday, despite fans and media talking up the chances of France, Italy and Sweden.
Norway won 14 medals to top the standings four years ago in Beijing, twice as many as second-placed France, but they will be without their retired linchpin Johannes Thingnes Boe in Italy after he exited the sport at the end of last season.
That dominance led the International Biathlon Union to invest a million euros ($1.18 million) in smaller nations to close the competitive gap, but Dale-Skjevdal told Reuters Norway will take home another medal haul from Milano Cortina.
"Norway has at least four potential individual gold medal-winners in each race, so we're really eager to fight for them," he said in the blazing sunshine at the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena on Saturday, with the Olympic competitions set to kick off the following day with the mixed relay.
"We have a really good team and a lot of resources, so I think the IBU is doing a really good job on this, to include all nations and making it a bit easier for them to fight against our budget and so on," he said of the IBU programme to level the playing field.
"We want the hardest fight possible, and of course we want to win, but also, we welcome a good fight. I think the IBU is doing an amazing job of including every nation in a good way."
The 28-year-old Dale-Skjevdal will not take part in Sunday's mixed relay, but with so many nations in with a chance of making the podium, he will be glued to the race.
"I think it's a very good event to start with, because it's maybe the race with the most potential winners," he said.
Many nations have at least two boys and two good girls, so I think tomorrow will be the hardest race to win, for sure, so it's a great start for the Games, competition-wise."
Dale-Skejvdal's first taste of Olympic action will likely come on Tuesday in the men's 20km individual race.
"It will be an awesome experience, and especially after the last days when we saw the opening ceremony," he said. "Yeah, it's the Olympics, it's a big thing for sure, so we are really looking forward to it."
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(Reporting by Philip O'Connor; Editing by Ken Ferris)
