The surprising resignation of Johannes Thingnes Bø deeply affected the biathlon world on Saturday. Some of his teammates from the Norwegian team reacted particularly emotionally. At Sturla Holm Lægreid, for example, bitter farewell tears flowed.
With Johannes Thingnes Bø, the sport of biathlon has lost one of its, if not the, best of all time. On Saturday, the 31-year-old announced his retirement out of the blue at the end of the 2024/25 season. A news that shocked his teammates above all.
Bø’s teammate Sturla Holm Lægreid described the leader’s farewell as “very emotional” in the “NRK” interview. The five-time Olympic champion only informed his long-time companions about his plans on Saturday morning. “Saying goodbye to Johannes this morning was very sad,” said Lægreid, who then burst into tears in his TV interview and had to compose himself first.
“For me personally, he was always number one. I would never have become so good if I hadn’t had Johannes as an advisor. It was a shock for me and probably the others too,” explained Bø’s teammate, who was “tremendous “Respect for this decision” from the superstar. When Bø dropped the bombshell in a small circle, he “couldn’t say anything.” “All I could do was hug him,” Lægreid said.
Brother Tarjei Bø was initiated
The situation was somewhat easier for brother Tarjei Bø. He was informed of the decision by Johannes immediately after the end of the Christmas break.
“I was probably the only one in the family circle who knew about it. So I was prepared in a certain way. But when everyone is in one room, of course it gets intense,” he also revealed in the “NRK” interview that the scenes didn’t pass him without a trace on Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen said goodbye to the superstar with an Instagram post. “Thanks for the trip, you incredible GOAT. It’s a wet dream and a terrible nightmare at the same time,” he wrote with a wink at the fact that he will soon have one less unbeatable opponent on the track, but also one less good teammate.