Securing the Long-Awaited Norwegian Medal After a Spectacular Stage: 'She Has No Nerves'

The article reports on a dramatic stage at the 2025 Biathlon World Championships. A superb leg by Norwegian athlete Maren Kirkeeide secured a long-awaited silver medal for Norway. In the final sprint, Kirkeeide made only one error and executed the anchor leg with impressive composure, which commentators described as evidence that she "has no nerves."

A near mishap unfolded when France’s anchor, Julia Simon, almost got hit by a collapsing barrier during her final sprint. Simon, recounting the incident, mentioned that she simply gave a high five and continued on, even stepping on the fallen flag. However, NRK’s experts were critical of the incident, with one expert, Torgeir Bjørn, suggesting that the unstable barrier could have resulted in a serious accident – a mistake that warranted a yellow card for the organizers.

Other athletes and commentators, including Swedish star Hanna Ôberg and expert Ola Lunde, noted that it was fortuitous nothing more severe occurred. Meanwhile, Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold and Karoline Knotten were mentioned in relation to the relay stages, though Tandrevold faced issues during her shooting segment. Despite a few shooting errors from other team members, the relay eventually saw a strong finish, and the event turned into a major boost for the Norwegian women’s biathlon team, which had struggled to reach the podium since 2021.

The article also features comments from World Championship director Jürg Capol, who emphasized that no one was injured, while also highlighting plans to improve security and crowd management around the course. Overall, the incident—with its mix of drama, near-disaster, and comic relief—added an unexpected twist to an already exciting race.