Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold and Sturla Holm Laegreid delight home crowds with wins in Oslo-Holmenkollen
BySportsbeat
Updated 02/03/2024 at 12:52 GMT
Norwegian pair Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold and Sturla Holm Laegreid claimed individual victories as Biathlon World Cup headed to Norway. Elvira Oeberg took second place behind Tandrevold, while Tarjei Boe took the runner-up spot behind Laegreid. Johannes Thingnes Boe finished in fifth place. Stream the 2023-24 winter sports season on Eurosport and discovery+
Highlights: Laegreid takes first World Cup win of season with flawless showing
Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold gave her overall crystal globe hopes a huge boost with individual victory on home snow in Oslo-Holmenkollen.
The Norwegian endured a difficult World Championships, failing to get a single podium in an individual event, but responded with a win in the delayed 15km individual to stretch her lead at the top of the world rankings.
Missing just once across the four shoots, she finished 28.8 seconds clear of Elvira Oeberg, with Ida Lien completing the podium.
On a day when no one shot clear, Tandrevold's one miss proved a fine showing on the range and allowed her to stretch her lead in the overall standings to 84 points from Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, who finished seventh, missing three times.
"It has been a quite difficult month in biathlon for me," Tandrevold said. "I have struggled to find the targets, find myself and struggled to enjoy biathlon. Now I come here and see the spectators came yesterday, went straight home and came back today to cheer and see a lot of targets go down. It was a good day.”
Lisa Vittozzi is just four points further back, after finishing fourth, while Julia Simon - who won four gold medals at the World Championships - struggled back in 16th.
Vittozzi's fourth place was enough to claim the small crystal globe in the individual discipline, finishing 10 points clear of Tandrevold.
On the men's side, Sturla Holm Laegreid was flawless on the range despite the difficult conditions, to take his first World Cup win of the season.
The sprint world champion held his nerve to beat Tarjei Boe, for whom a miss with his final shot cost him a clear round and the victory.
"It felt easy," Laegreid said. "I was like, ‘hmm, I shot 20-out-of-20, why didn’t I do this before in the season?’ I am really happy to do it today and also the physical part felt amazing.
"We had good skis and I felt really strong on the skis. I know these tracks. I was training here since I was 12 or 13 years old. I think it gives me extra energy for the race.”
Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen completed a Norwegian clean sweep of the podium in dramatic fashion, edging out Eric Perrot of France by 0.8 seconds.
Johannes Thingnes Boe missed twice on his way to fifth spot, but that was enough to take the small crystal globe in the individual while he retains a comfortable lead in the overall standings.
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Stream the 2023-24 winter sports season on Eurosport and discovery+
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