The evergreen Jakov Fak thrilled Slovenian fans on the first day of the BMW IBU World Cup Biathlon Pokljuka 2025 on Thursday, securing his first individual victory in ten years under extremely challenging weather conditions. What made the win even sweeter was that he celebrated it with his family, joined by his three daughters, who stood with him on the podium.
The 37-year-old, a two-time World Champion and two-time Olympic medallist, claimed his first victory since the 2014/15 season and his second at Rudno Polje following his sprint win in 2012.
Yet, even after the race, the experienced biathlete barely had a moment to take a breath and fully grasp his achievement, as he was immediately occupied with media, team, and family commitments. Speaking with journalists in the evening, he admitted that while it was exhausting, it was also beautiful to experience such moments. He was especially happy about the presence of his three daughters.
“It’s wonderful. Talking about winning a race is one thing, but for them to actually experience it is completely different. I think it will be a great memory for them. Many times, it’s not easy to leave home, but that’s part of the sport, and now it will be easier for them to understand. It was my great wish that they could see what it looks like when their dad wins. Depending on their age, each of them understands it in their own way, but I think in time, it will be a cherished memory,” Fak said about having his family there.
Unlike his first victory on the Pokljuka plateau, this time, he wasn’t staying in a hotel near the stadium but rather commuting from his nearby home. “My first win from the valley. Now it’s more of a family thing because I promised my kids I would stay at home. Once you become a family man, you get used to a different rhythm, and you learn how to function well within it, even when it’s demanding. A huge thanks also to my wife, who carries most of the load so that I can compete,” added the Slovenian ace of Croatian descent.
In the morning, when he woke up, he had a feeling he could win, but during the race, he wasn’t thinking about it. “I was only focused on the individual tasks I had to complete. The conditions were extremely tough – you had to stay concentrated on every single step out on the course. Not just physically, but mentally, it was a very demanding race. Many competitors struggled with their legs because, in these conditions, the body’s stabilizers work abnormally hard—you’re constantly balancing on one leg. It was really, really tough.”
However, Fak thrives in such conditions, having trained in them at the beginning of his career: “I’m not as used to it anymore, but the body has memory, and I often recalled how I trained in these conditions as a kid and how to run in them. I think that was my advantage.”
Fak had been waiting for this victory for ten years. “I know it sounds like a long time. It definitely means a lot to me, especially since I believe I’m the second-oldest in the entire biathlon circuit. A win means a great deal to anyone, but even more so when there have been so many circumstances working against you, so I’m incredibly proud. The key is believing in what you do. I’ve had many highs and many lows, along with plenty of struggles in between, but that just makes me even prouder – because I persisted and believed in myself, that I still have what it takes to win. When you don’t win for a long time, there’s always doubt, and people start saying, ‘You can’t do it anymore.’ You’re always getting older, but in my mind, I still feel young,” Fak said with a smile.
On Saturday, he faces another race at the same distance, this time with a mass start, a format in which he excels. After Thursday’s victory, expectations among fans have also risen: “It’s always like this – if you win on Thursday and then finish second on Saturday, it already feels like a disappointment. There are so many guys here who want to win, and I’m one of them. The competition at the top is so tight that everything has to be just right. Often, the bigger teams have an advantage, and there are days when you simply don’t have much of a chance to be in the mix.”
He also hopes there won’t be too many crashes due to the challenging conditions. “It will definitely be a tough race. If the conditions are the same as on Thursday, there could be a lot of falls. The descents are very dangerous, and in a group of 30 people, it sometimes becomes a fight for survival. It only takes one person to fall or lose a bit of balance, and if someone else touches them, it all goes downhill. It’s like cycling, except we fall onto soft snow. However, the rifles make things even more dangerous – if someone falls backward, the rifle gets jammed into the ground, putting enormous pressure on the neck. I just hope there won’t be any falls and that we all make it around safely with as few scratches as possible.”
