There was no match against Johannes Thingnes Bö in the last Biathlon World Cup of the season. The Norwegian won the mass start clearly. For Benedikt Doll, six penalties were too many in his farewell race: he only came 27th – but was greeted with confetti and champagne at the finish. The best German at the season finale was Justus Strelow in 13th place.
Johannes Thingnes Bö has already left his mark in Oberhof at the 2023 World Cup – Böberhof, the place on the Thuringian Rennsteig, was temporarily renamed during the title fights and because of the Norwegian’s dominance. It’s quite possible that the Canadian town of Canmore will soon get a new name with a reference to Bö – Bö-Can-More or something similar. Just like a year ago in Oberhof, the Norwegian also left his mark on the competitions in the Midwest of Canada.
Overall World Cup and three small balls for Bö
On Sunday (March 17, 2024), the overall World Cup winner from Norway won his fourth race in a row. With great dominance and only one penalty loop in four shooting sessions, he also won the 15-kilometer mass start at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. After the individual discipline World Cup and the pursuit, Bö also secured the mass start World Cup.
Second place to Dale-Skjevdal, Jacquelin third
Bö crossed the finish line after 36:03.4 minutes. Bö had to wait a long 44.5 seconds before compatriot Johannes Dale-Skjevdal (2 penalties after shooting errors) crossed the finish line. Another 22.7 seconds passed before Emilien Jacquelin from France came third on the day (3 penalties after shooting errors).
Strelow and Nawrath in the top 15
The best German was Justus Strelow in 13th place (1 penalty lap/+2:04.5 minutes), Philipp Nawrath made it into the first half of the 30-strong starting field in 15th place (3 penalty laps/+2:14.4 minutes).
Doll received 27th with confetti
In the last World Cup race of his career, Benedikt Doll had no chance of getting to the top places due to six penalties in the two standing stages. The 33-year-old crossed the finish line in 27th place – and was still greeted with confetti and champagne by his teammates.
Doll: “Now comes the enjoyment”
“I wanted to fight again, not say goodbye in an exhibition competition”said Doll, who is ending his career after the season, at the finish line and on ZDF. “But it set me up quite nicely. And then I could hardly hit anything while standing, I was pretty wobbly.”the six-time World Cup winner explained his six penalties, all of which he received in the standing position. “At the end I let the boys go. Then the energy was gone. But I enjoyed the last few meters for myself. Now comes the enjoyment, but I didn’t want to give myself anything away in the competition.”
Nawrath and Doll fourth and fifth after prone
The German team was as strongly represented in the last race of the season as only the Norwegians. Seven German starters were allowed to take part in the grand finale again. At the halfway point of the competition, only three Germans still had a realistic chance of getting to the top places: Philipp Nawrath with one penalty and Benedikt Doll, who shot cleanly from prone, were in fourth and fifth place after the first two shooting sessions – and thus in the fight for the podium places. Justus Strelow in ninth place after a penalty lap was already 13 seconds behind the podium, but was still doing well.
Doll receives six standing penalties
In his farewell race, Doll really got it when he was standing: the Black Forest native missed four of the five targets in the first standing test – and fell back to 25th place. The 2017 sprint world champion received two more penalties in the second standing stop. Doll started his final World Cup round in 25th place – and crossed the finish line in 27th place, 3:41.8 minutes behind the day’s winner Bö.
Nawrath best German runner
Nawrath lost it with one penalty in each of the two standing stages. In terms of running, the 31-year-old was the best German on Sunday with the twelfth best time – and ultimately 15th, 2:14.4 minutes behind the day’s winner.
Only one penalty for Strelow
Only Strelow remained flawless while standing, but was unable to keep up with the top athletes in terms of running. After the third shooting he was in eighth place, around 20 seconds away from the podium; after the faultless fourth shooting, the Saxon’s gap to the podium had already increased to 50 seconds. At the finish, the 27-year-old was 13th, 2:04.5 minutes behind Bö and around 57 seconds behind third-placed Emilien Jacquelin from France.
Horn, Kühn, Rees, Riethmüller on 23 to 26
The other Germans clearly missed the top 20. Philipp Horn (5 penalties/+3:11.7 minutes) was 23rd, Johannes Kühn (6 penalties/+3:27.6 minutes), Roman Rees (3 penalties/+3:29.2 minutes) and Danilo Riethmüller (6 penalties/+ 3:33.2 minutes) finished in positions 23 to 26.