Botn and Knotten Dominate Norwegian Roller Ski Championships

Originally published in Eurosport on September 22, 2024

Botn and Knotten Dominate Norwegian Roller Ski Championships

This weekend at the Norwegian National Championships in roller skiing, Johan-Olav Botn and Karoline Knotten showcased their exceptional skills by clinching gold medals in both the sprint and mass start events.

On Sunday, Botn triumphed in the mass start race, overcoming the challenge of two penalty laps to finish with a commanding lead. He crossed the finish line a remarkable 40.6 seconds ahead of Martin Uldal, who secured the silver medal. Vebjørn Sørum took home the bronze, finishing 1 minute and 3.8 seconds behind Botn.

The previous day, Botn also triumphed in the sprint event, claiming victory with a 3.2-second margin over Sørum, despite also facing two misses in shooting. Espen Uldal rounded out the podium in third place.

In the women's competition, Karoline Knotten maintained her dominance, defeating Ragnhild Femsteinevik by 18 seconds in the mass start. Both athletes had a more significant gap the day prior, with Knotten winning the sprint by an impressive 56.6 seconds.

In a standout performance during the mass start, Ingrid Tandrevold surged from 15th place to claim third. The event was notably affected by the absence of top athletes Johannes Thingnes Bø and Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen, both of whom were sidelined due to illness.

In the men's national team category, Sturla Holm Lægreid achieved the highest finish at 7th place on Saturday, matching that performance with Tarjei Bø doing the same on Sunday.

Looking ahead, Botn is set to continue his journey as a member of the recruitment national team next season. The biathlon season will kick off with the national opening in Sjusjøen from November 15 to 17.

See Also

Biathlon: Bö Brothers Face a Tough Weekend
Biathlon: Bö Brothers Face a Tough Weekend

September 21, 2024 / Sport1