23.02.2020 - Johannes Bø creates the perfect ending
All is well that ends well. In the final race, the great dominating athlete of the World Cup, Johannes Thingnes Bø, secured his first individual Gold.
His supreme performance in the mass start was the ultimate highlight of the biathlon World Championships in Anterselva.
In the last race of the World Championships Johannes Thingnes Bø once again showed his class. Of 20 attempts in the shooting range he scored 20 times, avoiding a penalty circuit and raced away from all his competitors in an exciting performance in the tracks around the Südtirol Arena. After 15 kilometres Bø reached the finish 42 seconds ahead of everyone else.
It was the sixth medal in these World Championships for the 26-year old exceptional biathlete from Northern Europe. Earlier, he won Gold in the mixed relay and the single mixed relay, and Silver in the pursuit, the individual event and the men’s relay. Only in the sprint did Bø not make it into the top three. With his extraordinary haul he significantly contributed to the 11 of 36 medals won by Norway in these title fights in Val Pusteria.
Only France came close to Norway, collecting a total of 8 medals. The same pattern repeated in the concluding mass start, where only the blue-white-red biathletes battled it out for Gold with the Norwegians. In the end, two French athletes, Quentin Fillon Maillet and Emilien Jacquelin, also raced their way to a podium place. For both it was their second medal in Anterselva. With their supreme performance Quentin Fillon Maillet (3 shooting errors) und Emilien Jacquelin (2) pushed the older of the two Scandinavian brothers, Tarjei Bø, off the podium.
Windisch and Hofer miss out on the top ten.
Local athletes Dominik Windisch and Lukas Hofer had no chance of winning any medals. They each had to race three penalty circuits and found themselves below the top 10 throughout the race. In the end, last year’s mass start World Champion Windisch finished in 14th place, Hofer, ended his championships in 18th place.
Comments on the race:
Johannes Thingnes Bø, Norway (1. place): “I wanted to give my all one more time. In the shooting range I remained without a fault, that was decisive. I am more than happy with my World Championships; returning home with six medals, I could not have imagined that two weeks ago. But I have a superb team behind me, that’s what counts.”
Quentin Fillon Maillet France (2nd place): “I am very happy with my race today and with the whole World Championships. I like the track in Anterselva, I am overjoyed, and I hope that I will be able to continue like this during the season.”
Emilien Jacquelin, France (3rd place): “I knew that something was possible today. It was a very tactical race, and in the end, it was just enough for the Bronze. This medal gives me confidence for the future.”
Results 15 km Mass Start Men - World Championships Anterselva (Sunday, 23 February 2020)
1. Johannes Thingnes Bø (NOR) 38.09,5 (0)
2. Quentin Fillon Maillet (FRA) + 42,0 (3)
3. Emilien Jacquelin (FRA) +55,0 (2)
4. Tarjei Bø (NOR) +55,6 (2)
5. Simon Desthieux (FRA) +1.03,7 (1)
6. Felix Leitner (AUT) +1.06,7 (3)
7. Martin Fourcade (FRA) +1.13,1 (3)
8. Johannes Dale (NOR) +1.17,1 (3)
9. Julian Eberhard (AUT) +1.19,6 (4)
10. Johannes Kühn (GER) +1.25,2 (4)
14. Dominik Windisch (ITA) +1.47,1 (3)
18. Lukas Hofer (ITA) +2.22,8 (3)
In the last race of the World Championships Johannes Thingnes Bø once again showed his class. Of 20 attempts in the shooting range he scored 20 times, avoiding a penalty circuit and raced away from all his competitors in an exciting performance in the tracks around the Südtirol Arena. After 15 kilometres Bø reached the finish 42 seconds ahead of everyone else.
It was the sixth medal in these World Championships for the 26-year old exceptional biathlete from Northern Europe. Earlier, he won Gold in the mixed relay and the single mixed relay, and Silver in the pursuit, the individual event and the men’s relay. Only in the sprint did Bø not make it into the top three. With his extraordinary haul he significantly contributed to the 11 of 36 medals won by Norway in these title fights in Val Pusteria.
Only France came close to Norway, collecting a total of 8 medals. The same pattern repeated in the concluding mass start, where only the blue-white-red biathletes battled it out for Gold with the Norwegians. In the end, two French athletes, Quentin Fillon Maillet and Emilien Jacquelin, also raced their way to a podium place. For both it was their second medal in Anterselva. With their supreme performance Quentin Fillon Maillet (3 shooting errors) und Emilien Jacquelin (2) pushed the older of the two Scandinavian brothers, Tarjei Bø, off the podium.
Windisch and Hofer miss out on the top ten.
Local athletes Dominik Windisch and Lukas Hofer had no chance of winning any medals. They each had to race three penalty circuits and found themselves below the top 10 throughout the race. In the end, last year’s mass start World Champion Windisch finished in 14th place, Hofer, ended his championships in 18th place.
Comments on the race:
Johannes Thingnes Bø, Norway (1. place): “I wanted to give my all one more time. In the shooting range I remained without a fault, that was decisive. I am more than happy with my World Championships; returning home with six medals, I could not have imagined that two weeks ago. But I have a superb team behind me, that’s what counts.”
Quentin Fillon Maillet France (2nd place): “I am very happy with my race today and with the whole World Championships. I like the track in Anterselva, I am overjoyed, and I hope that I will be able to continue like this during the season.”
Emilien Jacquelin, France (3rd place): “I knew that something was possible today. It was a very tactical race, and in the end, it was just enough for the Bronze. This medal gives me confidence for the future.”
Results 15 km Mass Start Men - World Championships Anterselva (Sunday, 23 February 2020)
1. Johannes Thingnes Bø (NOR) 38.09,5 (0)
2. Quentin Fillon Maillet (FRA) + 42,0 (3)
3. Emilien Jacquelin (FRA) +55,0 (2)
4. Tarjei Bø (NOR) +55,6 (2)
5. Simon Desthieux (FRA) +1.03,7 (1)
6. Felix Leitner (AUT) +1.06,7 (3)
7. Martin Fourcade (FRA) +1.13,1 (3)
8. Johannes Dale (NOR) +1.17,1 (3)
9. Julian Eberhard (AUT) +1.19,6 (4)
10. Johannes Kühn (GER) +1.25,2 (4)
14. Dominik Windisch (ITA) +1.47,1 (3)
18. Lukas Hofer (ITA) +2.22,8 (3)
