After 15th victory

Like a brother! Olympic champion ends his career

Tarjei Boe (right) and brother Johannes Thingnes Boe

(Bild: AFP or licensors)

Just like Johannes Thingnes Bö, his brother Tarjei Bö will also be ending his professional career at the end of the biathlon season. The latter announced the decision on Friday shortly after his triumph in the 10-kilometer World Cup sprint in Antholz. 

The 36-year-old remained clear at the shooting range and led a Norwegian one-two victory by a wafer-thin margin ahead of Sturla Holm Laegreid (+0.4 seconds), who missed once. David Komatz was the best Austrian in 18th place (1:01.8 min.).

Tarjei Bö gave a tearful insight almost a week after his brother announced his retirement. "My wife is here, plus the victory. This is the perfect day for this big announcement," said the Norwegian. He had already known before the season that it would be his last. "My feeling in my body was, now it's enough, I don't want to work for the Olympics anymore, because it's very hard work." Bö also explained that he wanted to stop at his peak. "I felt all winter that it was time. I'm still one of the best biathletes in the world and that's how I want to end it."

15th World Cup victory
On Friday he celebrated his 15th World Cup victory, with the World Championships starting on February 9th in Lenzerheide another highlight awaits away from the World Cup action. In his career, Tarjei Bö was twice Olympic relay champion. He also won one Olympic gold medal in the mixed relay and a total of eleven world championship titles.

Only just behind the Norwegian duo on Friday was the Italian Tommaso Giacomel, who finished 2.6 seconds behind. Like Simon Eder, who finished 22nd (1:23.7), Komatz missed once. Patrick Jakob (1:44.4), Felix Leitner (1:44.5) and Fabian Müllauer (1:49.4) finished 41st, 42nd and 45th respectively.