Bitahlon World Cup: Chasing a record with Haaland cheering: “Alien” Bö in its own league

Bitahlon World Championship
Chasing a record with Haaland cheering: “Alien” Bö in its own league

Haaland pose: Norway’s biathlon superstar Johannes Thingnes Bö cheers after his World Cup victory in the pursuit. photo

© Hendrik Schmidt/dpa

Johannes Thingnes Bö runs away from everyone at the Biathlon World Championships in Oberhof. Seven titles in seven races seem possible for the Norwegian. And a great record by a compatriot is getting closer and closer.

The German biathletes hardly deal with the overwhelming Johannes Thingnes Bö. “In my world, I really exclude him. It’s another league,” Roman Rees said of the best ski hunter in the world.

With three titles after three races, the 29-year-old Norwegian can make history in Oberhof and be the first of his kind to win gold seven times at a World Championship. That seems to interest him the least, he dreams of other things. “My dream is to have a beautiful wife and a nice son, I have that, I’m fine,” said Bö.

Gold hamster squall

In front of 23,500 spectators, the now 15-time world champion even had time to imitate the jubilation of his compatriot Erling Haaland on Sunday. He stopped with a large margin before the finish line, got down on one knee and pointed at the fans. “I’m certainly not as famous as him, but maybe a good number two,” said Bö and laughed. Bö (“I’ve always liked him”) looks up to the internationally acclaimed soccer superstar from Manchester City, and the five-time Olympic champion himself is Haaland in the biathlon scene. “Johannes is an alien, he’s in a different league,” said his team-mate Sturla Holm Laegreid.

Now, before the World Cup singles on Tuesday (2:30 p.m. / ZDF and Eurosport), the Norwegians seem like extraterrestrials overall. After gold in the mixed relay, five of the six men’s medals went to her. “They had five in the top seven, that’s critical,” Rees said of the pursuit. Before the World Cup, he demanded: “It is important for us as a German team to be competitive, at least in the connecting areas with Sweden and France and, if in doubt, to have them under control.”

Johannes Kühn, as the best German, came close with eighth place (sprint) and sixth place (pursuit), but medals are only possible if at least some of the Norwegians fail. Where does their strength come from? “Whoever wants to have a chance with us has to be incredibly good, otherwise he won’t make it,” said Tarjei Bö of the German Press Agency: “Everyone knows that he has to sacrifice a lot and in the end we have a lot of good athletes .” Many great talents don’t make the World Cup team. In Oberhof, too, two out of six in the relay have to watch, which would be set in any other country.

“The culture in Norway is very good for biathlon right now,” says Tarjei Bö, who won silver in the sprint and was only beaten by his younger brother. It is an “absolute luxury problem. We have ten people who can compete in the World Cup and would make it into the top ten, some could always win.” Luckily for the rest, a maximum of six starters from one nation are allowed to compete. “In cross-country skiing we have had this “problem” in Norway for a long time – and now it’s the same in biathlon,” said Bö about the wealth of talent.

Norway – dreamland for biathlon

In Germany one can only dream of these conditions. “In Norway you start skiing at the age of four, it’s part of the lifestyle,” explained Sverre Olsbu Röiseland. The 32-year-old has been the assistant coach of the German women’s team since this season. He knows the conditions in his native Norway very well, but doesn’t think everything is perfect. With the right plan and good coaches, you could make world-class athletes out of a smaller pool. “There’s no reason why we can’t be the best nation in Germany again,” said the husband of Marte Olsbu Röiseland, who took bronze in Sunday’s pursuit and won her first World Championship medal at the Rennsteig.

In 2020, the 32-year-old Röiseland was the first biathlete to win seven medals in seven World Cup races, but not all of them shone golden. Whether Bö can do it now? “I don’t think he’s ever been as good as he is now,” said Ole Einar Björndalen. The 49-year-old is still the record world champion with 20 titles, Bö could already come close to gold in Thuringia and should then become the most successful ski hunter in history in the next few years. “We want gold in the men’s relay,” said Bö. With the title mixed in singles, “it’s going to be very difficult, just like in singles or mass start,” he said.

Head coach Siegfried Mazet knows that too. The Frenchman once made Martin Fourcade world number one before making a surprise move to Norway in 2016 and forming a team that is now second to none. Bös, Laegreid, Vetle Christiansen and Johannes Dale are good for a win at every start. “We’re trying to stay focused and have to keep our concentration high,” Mazet told dpa, adding to Bö: “In his form, he can win gold several times, we’ll try.”

dpa

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