Norway Demonstrates Dominance: Secures World Championship Gold

After three brilliant stages by the Norwegian relay team, Johannes Thingnes Bø had one simple task: to ensure victory in the relay at Lenzerheide.

Norway led from start to finish. The Norwegian male biathletes were exceptional at every handover. On the final leg, Johannes Thingnes Bø maintained a 46.5 second lead over the nearest competitor from France.

Bø not only preserved this advantage, he widened it during the skiing leg, while also delivering a flawless series in prone shooting. His time after the first shooting had extended to over one minute by the final round.

Only a single standing shooting error could have cost Norway the gold, but Thingnes Bø was in full control. He hit all five targets rapidly, even taking time to wave to the audience as he raced to the finish in solitary majesty.

This victory marked the Norwegian men's biathlon relay team's first World Championship gold since 2021. Although France had dominated all relay events in the 2024/25 World Cup season, they were never a threat in Lenzerheide.

France secured the silver, while Germany moved ahead of Sweden on the final leg to capture the bronze.

Endre Strømsheim provided Norway with the best possible start in the first stage, followed by Tarjei Bø who extended the lead. Sturla Holm Lægreid delivered an impeccable performance in both prone and standing shooting on the third stage.

“Very pleased with our performance, we were markedly better than the French and kept the pressure on them. This is exactly how we want it. I would say that Norway is back,” Sturla Holm Lægreid told NRK before the final shooting of Norway’s race.