Per Nilsson

2008 u.S. OlympiC tEAm m e d i a g u i d e
B I A T H L O N
C O A C H E S
Per NilssoN
ArmiN Peter AucheNtAller
Per Nilsson
u.s. BiAthloN heAd coAch
Height: 5-10
Weight: 176 lbs
Birthdate: May 7, 1970
Birthplace: Sollefteå, Sweden
Hometown: Sollefteå, Sweden
Years Coaching Team: 3
School: Örebro University, Sweden
Per lives in Sollefteå, Sweden with his wife and two children. He joined U.S. Biathlon as head coach in July 2006. Under his guidance, the
team took a major step forward and has been improving year-by-year ever since. Per has shared his approach to training with the whole U.S.
Biathlon community and helped to create the progress being seen now at the development level.
Introduced to biathlon at age 14 in his hometown of Sollefteå, Sweden, Nilsson competed in the sport until age 21, then shifted his focus
to his academic studies and became a professional coach in 1996.
In 2001, Nilsson came to America as a biathlon coach for the Maine Winter Sports Center Team. He returned to Sweden in 2002 where
he worked as a biathlon coach at the National Sports Academy in Sollefteå, Sweden, and with the Swedish National Junior Team. During his
tenure with the Swedish National Junior Team, he was instrumental in creating Sweden’s athlete development program.

C O A C H E S
Armin Peter Auchentaller
u.s. BiAthloN AssistANt coAch
2010 u.S. OlympiC tEAm m e d i a g u i d e
Height: 5-10
Weight: 176 lbs
Birthdate: Nov. 11, 1971
Birthplace: South Tyrol, Italy
Hometown: Antholz, Italy
Years Coaching Team: Joined U.S. Biathlon in April 2009
School: Handelsoberschule, Bruneck, Italy
Auchentaller lives with his wife and their two daughters only nine kilometers away from the biathlon stadium of Antholz in South Tyrol, Italy.
A biathlete himself on the European Cup level, Auchentaller soon started as a coach in a local sports school before being responsible for the
state team of South Tyrol. During that time, the Italians were already quite successful when it came to youth and junior competition.
In 2007, Auchentaller was hired as a coach for the Italian World Cup Team and within two years he and his colleague Francesco Berlendis
improved the performance of the Italian team. In coaching two men to be among the top 30 biathletes in the world and producing several
podium placements proves that Auchentaller knows how to get the best out of his athletes. Under the guidance of Auchentaller, the athletes
found a new spirit within their team, acting and working together as friends with respect for each other’s origins.
U.S. Biathlon hired Auchentaller in April 2009. Given his friendly character and professional experience, the team is sure Auchentaller fits
perfectly within the squad.