Photo: Bildbyrån
The Norwegian superstar Johannes Thingnes Bö will retire after the season.
After the last competition, he was praised by Sebastian Samuelsson.
– It was a bit of a tribute, I didn’t exactly expect that, says Thingnes Bö to NRK.
He has eight Olympic medals, a total of 38 World Cup medals and five overall World Cup victories. Johannes Thingnes Bö31, is one of the world’s best biathletes of all time. Only the countryman Ole Einar Björndalen has more individual World Cup wins than he does.
Thingnes Bö will stop competing
However, it is doubtful if there will be that many more victories for Thingnes Bö, who currently has 88 first places in the World Cup. He will end his career after this season.
– For the past six seasons, I have combined elite sports with family life. It has been fantastic, but also demanding. I still love to compete, but unfortunately the competition days are few compared to all the other days of the year. Now I feel that it is time to prioritize the family, said the Norwegian at a press conference last Saturday.
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The very next day, Thingnes Bö competed in Ruhpolding, Germany. He came third in the men’s mass start, 20 km, and thus took another podium place. Swedish Sebastian Samuelsson27, came one place behind him and made an unexpected, but beautiful, gesture to his competitor when he was interviewed shortly after the Norwegian.
Sebastian Samuelsson’s tribute
Samuelsson took the microphone and tried to enliven the audience that was present. He shouted: “Zigge-zagge-zigge-zagge”, whereupon the audience chanted: “Oy-oy-oy”. The gesture was entirely in honor of the big star. He was noticeably taken by the gesture and stood smiling at Samuelsson’s invention.
– It was a bit of a tribute, I didn’t exactly expect that. You are usually rivals until you are on your deathbed and then you can become friends, says a bereaved Johannes Thingnes Bö to NRK.
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The Norwegian reporter then asks if the biathlete is really on his deathbed.
– No, but athletically I do, he then answers and laughs.
A really nice tribute to Sebastian Samuelsson! He made an appreciated gesture to Johannes Thingnes Bö, something that the rival had no thoughts about. Good job!
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