Tarjei Bö announces farewell to biathlon

Almost a week after biathlon star Johannes Thingnes Bö announced his retirement, his brother Tarjei also tearfully announced his departure after this season. “My wife is here, plus the victory. This is the perfect day for this big announcement,” said the 36-year-old Norwegian after his first place in the Antholz sprint. “I knew before the season that it would be my last. My feeling in my body was, it’s enough now, I don’t want to work for the Olympics anymore because it’s very hard work.”

Bö also explained that he wanted to stop at the climax. “I felt all winter long that it was time. I’m still one of the best biathletes in the world, and that’s how I want to end it,” he said after his 15th World Cup success and added in reference to his brother and the World Championships starting on February 9th in Lenzerheide: “Now we hear both of them up, but we still have two months together, then we can approach the last races and the last World Cup with a big laugh.”

Youngest overall World Cup winner

During his career, Tarjei Bö became Olympic relay champion twice. He also won Olympic gold in the mixed relay once and won a total of eleven world championship titles. He is also the youngest overall World Cup winner in biathlon history. Former top German biathlete and current TV expert Laura Dahlmeier said on ZDF: “That’s a great statement, he wants to listen to his body, it feels right for him. But it’s sad for biathlon that both evils are coming to an end.”