Thingnes Bø Sets New World Championship Record: 'It’s Insane'

Norwegian biathlete Johannes Thingnes Bø was unstoppable at the start of Sunday’s pursuit race at the World Championships. Having already won gold in the sprint on Saturday, he followed up with a dominant performance in the pursuit, elevating his career total to 22 World Championship gold medals.

Bø not only set a new record for the combined number of gold medals but also became the Norwegian athlete with the most individual championships, surpassing both Martin Fourcade and Ole Einar Bjørndalen with a record twelve individual golds. During the race, American Campbell Wright mounted a challenge between the third and fourth shooting bouts, but he could not maintain the pace set by Bø and eventually took his second silver of the championships.

"I heard that the American came in strong at the end, but I knew that if I pushed hard, I could defend the seconds I had gained," Bø told a reporter in Lenzerheide. "It’s insane. It’s so challenging to reach this point. The past championships have been unreal, and this feeling is simply wonderful."

In addition, Sturla Holm Lægreid, who started in ninth position, delivered a flawless performance on the prone shooting range and climbed the rankings. He was in contention for the bronze medal but eventually was overtaken by French biathlete Éric Perrot during the second run.

All six Norwegian athletes finished within the top ten in the pursuit race. Notably, both Johannes Thingnes Bø and his brother Tarjei have announced that this season will be their last as biathletes, making this World Championship their final major competition and adding further significance to the record-setting performances.