Hedegart had been a biathlete for a long time, but weak performances on the shooting range and a lack of a national team spot meant that last season he focused entirely on cross-country skiing.
It ended with double gold (sprint relay and relay) and a bronze in the 10-kilometre freestyle at the Olympics in Italy in February, as well as three World Cup victories.
Despite the successful season, Hedegart had not abandoned the idea of a new biathlon venture, but he was only promised a place on the development team, and the 24-year-old turned it down.
Hedegart says he has had a dialogue with the national ski team, but he has not yet been offered a national team spot, coach Eirik Myhr Nossum told NTB.
