Johannes Thingnes Bö gave everything, but the deficit was ultimately too big: as the fourth, the biathlon superstar missed a medal with the mixed relay at the start of the World Cup in Lenzerheide. Afterwards he had comforting words for one for one: Ingrid Landmark Teldrevold.
It was a race to forget for the Norwegian biathlete Ingrid Landmark Tindrevold. The Scandinavians’ hopes were great to be able to drive on the podium right at the start of the World Cup in Switzerland. But the 28-year-old, who was the first runner of her mixed relay to the cross-country ski run, failed at the shooting range.
Both in the lying and standing stop, she shot four times, so that she had to go to the penalty twice. “I usually shoot well, and today I had the feeling that I gave up normal, good shots. And then the disc does not go down,” the ski hunter was surprised at the “NRK” microphone.
As the 20th of a total of 24 runners, she handed over to teammate Maren Kirkeeide. The medals had already moved far away.
Bö rushes, but the round is “too short”
“She can be disappointed,” said the final runner Johannes Thingnes Bö at “NRK” pity with his teammate. “That should be allowed to all of us. And then we just have to admit that it is an open sport.”
The fact that the Norwegians were still able to have hopes for bronze was due to the good performances of Maren Kirkeeide, Sturla Holm Laegreid (1 follower each) and especially Johannes Thingnes Bö (no relief loader). The 31-year-old literally flew through the snow, and he sank his five shots in the standing stop in just 17.1 seconds.
Then he grabbed the Swedes Sebastian Samuelsson on the last round and even targeted the German final runner Justus Strelow. However, he saved himself with a narrow lead on the bronze rank. In the end, the route was simply “too short,” said Bö.
For Johannes Thingnes Bö it is the last world championships, his career ends the Norwegian after the current season. He still lacks a World Cup gold to retire as the sole record world champion.