Shortly before retirement

Norwegian wants to make himself “immortal” at the World Championships

Johannes Thingnes Bö wants to break the World Championship record of compatriot Ole Einar Björndalen.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

At the end of his extraordinary career, Johannes Thingnes Bö could become the most successful athlete in biathlon history in Lenzerheide. Like his brother Tarjei, who is five years older, the 31-year-old is currently bidding farewell to the World Championships in Switzerland; both announced their retirement at the end of the season in January. The younger of the two has collected 20 World Championship gold medals so far, just like Ole Einar Björndalen, who has even more silver medals to his name.

On Wednesday in the mixed relay it didn't work out with fourth place. To overtake his compatriot, who has been active for much longer, in the World Championship rankings would be a nice record for Johannes Thingnes Bö, even if it is unlikely to be a record number of victories. Björndalen is on 95, Bö on 88, so it is still possible for the overall World Cup runner-up to catch up, but unlikely. The defending World Cup champion has, of course, consciously decided against continuing his career and in favor of his family, despite the upcoming Olympic winter.

This weekend, Bö will be competing in the sprint and pursuit in the individual World Cup races, with some of the biggest competition coming from his own camp. First and foremost the World Championship leader Sturla Holm Laegreid or his brother Tarjei, who has already won twice this season. The French have proven that they are competitive, not least by winning all four World Cup relays so far this winter. In addition, there are experts such as the Swede Sebastian Samuelsson or the Italian Tommaso Giacomel, who recently won for the first time.

Bö defends his title three times in Switzerland
Johannes Thingnes Bö has to defend the pursuit, individual and mass start titles he won in Nove Mesto in 2024 in Lenzerheide. At the only World Cup stop to date in Lenzerheide in December 2023, the Norwegian has achieved a second place and two victories, and his body is known to respond well at an altitude of more than 1,500 m - as it did in Antholz. Justine Braisaz-Bouchet won all three women's races 14 months ago, but she is now only playing fifth fiddle in France this season.

With six victories, compatriot Lou Jeanmonnot has been the most successful athlete so far this season, but she is still behind Franziska Preuß, who has won twice in the World Cup. The German has shown more consistency, which has been rewarded by a change in the weighting of points since this season. The criterion for the 30-year-old is her health, her compatriot Vanessa Voigt had to end her season early after an illness and will therefore be missing in Lenzerheide. Her compatriots, on the other hand, are still lacking a resounding success this winter.