Biathlon: Bö Brothers Face a Tough Weekend

A Tough Weekend for the Bö Brothers

During the Norwegian summer championships, the Bö brothers faced unexpected challenges. One had a disappointing outing, while the other regretfully withdrew from the competition altogether.

Tarjei Bö, who finished second in last season’s overall World Cup, experienced a day to forget at the summer championships in Lillehammer. After leading the sprint following the first shooting round, the 36-year-old faltered with four mistakes in the standing position. This drop in performance saw him tumble to a disappointing 35th place in the final rankings.

Johannes Thingnes Bö Misses the Race

In a twist, Tarjei’s brother, Johannes Thingnes Bö, the reigning overall World Cup champion, was also expected to participate in Lillehammer. Despite his name appearing on the start list, he opted out of the race due to a cold, which he announced to his fans on Instagram. As a result, he canceled his plans for the entire weekend.

Unexplained Absences from Other Competitors

Compounding the mystery, fellow athletes Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen and Endre Strömsheim similarly pulled out of the sprint at the last minute, with no clear explanation for their withdrawal.

Sturla Holm Laegreid, who famously secured the gold medal in the sprint at the 2024 World Championships, also had a lackluster performance. With only one shooting error, he managed to finish in seventh place. Meanwhile, Johannes Dale-Skjevdal, who ranked third in the overall World Cup last season, also struggled with four errors and ended up in 28th.

Johan-Olav Botn emerged victoriously, completing the race in 22:58 minutes with just two shooting errors, finishing three seconds ahead of Vebjørn Sørum, who also had two errors. Espen Uldal secured third place with only one shooting error.

Karoline Knotten Triumphs in Women's Sprint

On the women’s side, Karoline Knotten put on a spectacular display, winning the sprint race with a perfect performance and a time of 18:48 minutes. She finished ahead of Ragnhild Femsteinevik and Frida Dokken. Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold, Norway’s standout biathlete from last winter, faced difficulties as she concluded the race in 15th place.