BIATHLON: Norway’s Boe sweeps Oslo to finish historic season; U.S.’s Egan wins first World Cup medal

Norway's World Cup Champion Johannes Thingnes Boe celebrating in (Norwegian) style! (Photo: IBU)

Plenty of drama in the final weekend of the IBU World Cup season in front of a cheering crowd in Oslo (NOR), especially for men’s titlist Johannes Thingnes Boe and American Clare Egan.

Boe came into ninth World Cup almost assured of a seasonal victory, but he made history by sweeping all three events – Sprint, Pursuit and Mass Start – by impressive margins of 31.7, 13.9 and 19.2 seconds. That gave him 16 wins in the 25 seasonal races, eclipsing the single-season record of 14 by France’s Martin Fourcade.

“It is a big achievement,” said Boe, 25. “To make history in any sport is to know that you have done something right. Biathlon has a lot of legends before me, so to be one of them is very interesting and a very good day.”

Boe ended the seven-year hold on the World Cup overall title by Fourcade, and was chased home in the Pursuit by his older brother Tarjei (30), who was the World Cup champion in the year before Fourcade started his streak.

They are the first brothers to have both won the IBU season title. “It is a good achievement,” said Johannes. “Before Martin, Tarjei was the last one to win the World Cup overall; to be doing the same as my role model Tarjei is very good.” The younger Boe celebrated his final win wearing a Viking helmet, to the roars of the home crowd.

In the seasonal standings, Russian Alexander Loginov finished second and France’s Quentin Fillon Maillet was third.

The women’s seasonal title was in doubt until the final race, but Italy’s Dorothea Wierer managed to hold on to her lead over teammate Lisa Vittozzi, 904-882. Wierer was consistent in Oslo, finishing 11-12-12 in the three races, where Vittozzi was 68th in the Sprint, essentially ending her chances.

The final Mass Start race was a fitting end to the season for American Egan, who scored her first-ever World Cup medal – a bronze – thanks to only one miss on the shooting ranges. It was the only World Cup medal for the U.S. this season, and Egan (31) finished 18th overall.

Summaries from Oslo:

IBU World Cup
Oslo (NOR) ~ 18-24 March 2019
(Full results here)

Men

10 km Sprint: 1. Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR), 24:39.9 (1 penalty); 2. Lukas Hofer (ITA), +31.7 (0); 3. Quentin Fillon Maillet (FRA), +35.0 (0); 4. Julian Eberhard (AUT), +38.3 (2); 5. Tarjei Boe (NOR), +38.5 (1).

12.5 km Pursuit: 1. J.T. Boe (NOR), 32:15.6 (3); 2. T. Boe (NOR), +13.9 (1); 3. Arnd Peiffer (GER), +18.2 (1); 4. Felix Leitner (AUT), +22.1; 5. Vetle Christiansen (NOR), +51.1 (2). Also in the top 25: 11. Sean Doherty (USA), +1:38.3 (1).

15 km Mass Start: 1. J.T. Boe (NOR), 37:25.6 (0); 2. Peiffer (GER), +19.2 (0); 3. Benedikt Doll (GER), +38.0 (2); 4. Julian Eberhard (AUT), +42.3 (3); 5. Christiansen (NOR), +44.6 (2).

Final World Cup Standings: 1. Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR), 1,262; 2. Alexander Loginov (RUS), 854; 3. Quentin Fillon Maillet (FRA), 843; 4. Simon Desthieux (FRA), 831; 5. Arnd Peiffer (GER), 802. Also in the top 25: 25. Sean Doherty (USA), 332.

Women

7.5 km Sprint: 1. Anastasiya Kuzmina (SVK), 19:56.2 (1); 2. Franziska Preuss (GER), +21.2 (0); 3. Paulina Fialkova (SVK), +25.1 (0); 4. Celia Aymonier (FRA), +30.4 (0); 5. Denise Herrmann (GER), +34.0 (2). Also in the top 25: 12. Clare Egan (USA), +54.6 (1).

10 km Pursuit: 1. Kuzmina (SVK), 28:25.9 (0); 2. Herrmann (GER), +1:42.8 (1); 3. Hanna Oeberg (SWE), +2:01.1 (1); 4. Marte Olsbu Roeiseland (NOR), +2:11.7 (3); 5. Linn Persson (SWE), +2:12.5 (1). Also in the top 25: 9. Egan (USA), +2:43.8 (3); … 18. Susan Dunklee (USA), +3:37.1 (3).

12.5 km Mass Start: 1. Oeberg (SWE), 35:56.2 (2); 2. Eckhoff (NOR), +1.3 (3); 3. Egan (USA), +10.4 (1); 4. Herrmann (GER), +21.6 (4); 5. Lisa Theresa Hauser (AUT), +48.7 (2).

Final World Cup Standings: 1. Dorothea Wierer (ITA), 904; 2. Lisa Vittozzi (ITA), 882; 3. Anastasiyz Kuzmina (SVK), 870; 4. Marte Olsbu Roeiseland (NOR), 855; 5. Hanna Oberg (SWE), 741. Also in the top 25: 18. Clare Egan (USA), 470.