Biathlon World Championships: Next Sensation After Bö Victory in the Pursuit

At the 22nd Biathlon World Championships in Lenzerheide, dominating athlete Johannes Thingnes Bö once again proved his class by winning the pursuit race over 12.5 km, marking another sensational triumph. The German team, however, experienced a major setback; Philipp Horn, despite improving his position by 27 places after an impeccable sprint, finished a disappointing 17th overall, while his teammates Justus Strelow and Philipp Nawrath ended up further down the rankings.

In contrast, the sprint world champion Bö was in sparkling form, committing only two shooting errors and outpacing his rivals – including the surprisingly strong American Campbell Wright, who finished just 8.6 seconds behind, and Frenchman Eric Perrot, who trailed by 20.8 seconds. Wright, who stunned everyone with his consistent performance and even managed to reduce his deficit in the final shooting stage, described the experience as both painful and immensely rewarding. His remarkable silver medal performance impressed experts and teammates alike, with Laura Dahlmeier and Denise Herrmann-Wick noting how he seemed to have grown wings under pressure.

The victory was yet another milestone for the “Bö-minator”, who recently surpassed the best record of his legendary Norwegian compatriot Ole Einar Björndalen. After the race, Horn expressed that the experience sparked both fun and newfound self-confidence which he plans to carry into the upcoming events.

Earlier, Franziska Preuß had secured a gold medal in the women's pursuit, marking the third medal for the German Ski Association at these championships, following her own silver in the sprint and a bronze in the mixed relay. The schedule ahead includes the women's 15 km individual race on Tuesday at 15:05 (broadcast on ZDF and Eurosport) and the men's 20 km individual race on Wednesday at 15:05 (also on ARD and Eurosport).