The streak still ends with an impressive five golds, one silver and one bronze in the WC. Only Marte Olsbu Røiseland has won medals in all exercises before.
– I am incredibly happy with the WC. I was on target for gold even though I missed the last shot, but my curtain went down when the Swedes went violently over the top on Birxsteig, says bronze winner Thingnes Bø to NRK.
MEDAL CATCH: Johannes Thingnes Bø shows off the medals after an impressive championship.
Photo: CHRISTOF STACHE / AFP
Because while the Norwegians missed, Sebastian Samuelsson delivered four full houses. When the Swede also pulled away from a tired Thingnes Bø on the last lap, there was no doubt. Samuelsson could cruise to WC gold at the joint start. Martin Ponsiluoma secured a Swedish double with silver.
– Can you beat Johannes Thingnes Bø? Yes! We can beat him with two Swedes, says Sweden’s coach Johannes Lukas to SVT.
– Too bad
Thingnes Bø started with one miss on the first shooting, but easily caught up with the close group consisting of Sturla Holm Lægreid and Ponsiluoma, who had a full house.
On the second attempt at a standing position, another miss came from the WC king, who thus had to spend the start of the joint start chasing seconds. Lægreid also had to go to the penalty round.
After the race, Thingnes Bø admits that he made a mistake.
– Today there hasn’t been much wind and I don’t know how much that has to do with it, but I wanted to shoot as far up as possible, and yes, I probably used a bit too much effort in the first two or three rounds when I missed one every shooting there, he says.
For the first standing shooting, Thingnes Bø once again had to make up seconds, but showed on the stand why he is considered the world’s best biathlete. Only at the start did he stand up and lower blinker after blinker at a frantic pace.
– It’s perfect, absolutely perfect! Not only does he hit, he shoots faster than the others too. He gets a huge hatch, said NRK commentator Andreas Stabrun Smith.
– I was tired
The way was then open for a historic gold for Thingnes Bø, but at the very last shot at the WC there was a costly miss.
– I was tired at the end. I had to work well with every shot and I didn’t find the fast rhythm that I have had in the other series in the previous days, but I really gave it a chance. The brain doesn’t quite keep up when you’re tired, says Thingnes Bø.
That was exploited by Sebastian Samuelsson, who in lonely majesty could cheer for WC gold. It is Sweden’s first individual WC gold on the men’s side in the championship.
Sturla Holm Lægreid was second best Norwegian in fourth place. Tarjei Bø was number nine, Johannes Dale number eleven, while Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen finished in 12th place.
