Shift of Power in Biathlon? "They Don't Like It Very Much"

Shift of Power in Biathlon?

During the World Cup opener, the Norwegian men's team suffered its first relay defeat in a long time. Is the dominance of Bö and co. crumbling?

During the World Cup opener in Kontiolahti, Norway settled for second place, marking a significant disruption in their previously solid track record.

For several years, the Norwegian men's team in biathlon was unbeatable, but cracks have now appeared in their armor. At the World Cup in Kontiolahti, they finished second, as competitor France ended the winning streak of the Norwegian biathlon men in the World Cup relays.

Just a Small Incident?

Prior to this second-place finish in Kontiolahti, Norway had won twelve consecutive men’s relays in the World Cup. The last time they ranked outside of first was in January 2022 in Ruhpolding, where they finished seventh behind the now-excluded Russians.

French athletes Fabien Claude, Quentin Fillon Maillet, Eric Perrot, and Emilien Jacquelin seized their chance during the relay on Sunday. Despite having two reloads, they ended up with a 25-second lead over Norway, which had Sturla Holm Lagreid, Tarjei Bö, Endre Strömsheim, and Johannes Thingnes Bö in top form.

"They don’t like it very much," said NRK expert Ola Lunde about the Norwegian team. "France was a level above us on four of four legs," admitted Norwegian superstar Johannes Thingnes Bö. He has dominated the individual World Cup since winter 2018/19, with five overall wins, interrupted only by Maillet’s strong winter in 2021/22.

"Norway Will Have to Reflect on Several Things"

Ex-biathlete Lunde even sees the danger of a changing guard: "Norway will have to think about a number of things regarding what will happen in the future. France is clearly well prepared. It will not be easy to beat the French over the winter."

The competition in biathlon is not sleeping, which Strömsheim sees as a positive: "I hope we will have many good duels throughout the winter. Last year was a bit too much Norwegian dominance, so we hope for a lot of close battles this year."