A few weeks before the start of the World Cup, biathlon superstar Johannes Thingnes Bö is still miles away from his pre-winter form. The Norwegian sounds the alarm.
Tenth place in the sprint on Saturday at the traditional “Sesongstart” in Sjusjöen was already a disappointing result from Johannes Thingnes Bö’s point of view. He finished 46 seconds behind the winner Vetle Sjastad Christiansen, but two mistakes in the second shooting were his downfall.
But 17th place in the mass start on Sunday really darkened the clouds over the Norwegian superstar. The biathlon dominator of the previous season missed the mark five times in the four shooting runs.
In the end, 1:38 minutes separated him from first place, which his compatriot Endre Strömsheim secured. The podium was completed by Vetle Sjastad Christiansen and Johan-Olav Botn, with Sturla Holm Laegreid coming fourth.
Bad results for biathlon star Bö a “wake-up call”
Johannes Thingnes Bö was disappointed with his own performance afterwards. “Now I have to wake up,” he told broadcaster “NRK” after the race. The poor results were now a “wake-up call”; he had thought he was at a better level beforehand. “I hoped that I would be better at the stand and on the track.”
Now it is obvious that he is “not yet ready” for the start of the World Cup in Kontiolahti, Finland (from November 30th).
At the same time, Bö emphasized how big the competition is at the Norwegian “Sesongstart”. “The others are really stepping on the gas, and I have to do the same in the future,” said the 31-year-old.
As on Saturday, some foreign athletes also took part in the mass start. The Frenchman Emilien Jacquelin took sixth place, his compatriots Quentin Fillon-Maillet and Eric Perrot took ninth and tenth place. The Italian Tommaso Giacomel finished 13th.
Source: www.sport.de
