First Marte Olsbu Röiseland.
Now Tiril Eckhoff is also ending his career.
– She is one of the greatest of all time, says expert Ola Lunde.
Norway’s biathlon women end their careers one by one. On Wednesday came the shock news that the big star and one of the country’s best ever Winter Olympians, Marte Olsbu Röiseland, is ending her career. And now the next star has made the same decision.
“Has been my life”
During his career, there have been three individual WC golds and several Olympic medals for Tiril Eckhoff. She won races as recently as last year and has been a giant over the years. But no, there will be nothing more. The 32-year-old announced on Wednesday evening that his career is over.
With this, Norway loses one of its greatest biathletes in history, and to say the least, a lot of routine is lost in the national team.
– Biathlon has been my life for as long as I can imagine, and it’s hard to imagine a life without it. The last few years have not turned out the way I imagined, so it basically feels natural. It’s hard and boring, but also a little nice, she says in a press release.
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“One of the greatest”
In Norway, however, the decision comes as a surprise, and the accolades from the experts are pouring in.
– It is one of the very, very largest in the world that is leaving, and one of the truly large in Norway together with Liv Grete Skjelbreid, Tora Berger, Marte Olsbu Röiseland. It is a practitioner who has been extremely good, says NRK expert Ola Kunde.
Ola Lunde believes that the announcement is both surprising, but not at the same time.
– There has been speculation about it, and now she has come to the conclusion that it is not worth continuing. I still get goosebumps thinking back to some of her competitions. And she got to become WC queen in Pokljuka. It’s a huge shame, but at the same time I understand her, he says.
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