Norway can end gold wait

ByEurosport

Published 21/02/2006 at 10:30 GMT

Norway's relay quartet will end the biathlon-mad country's Olympic gold drought on Tuesday, says eurosport.com's Ian Holyman. With medallists Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, Halvard Hanevold and Frode Andresen joined by Stian Eckhoff, the Scandinavian nation is po

Hanevold has been the surprise of the Games.

The veteran has had four podium finishes in the World Cup this season, but it looked as though his time had come and gone on the eve of his fourth Olympic Games.

But the 36-year-old has found new motivation to put in his best-ever Olympic performance, which also includes a creditable fifth in the Pursuit when clearly suffering from the superhuman efforts of the previous two races.

Torino 2006

Austrian Olympians banned for life

25/04/2007 at 15:33

BIATHLON 2006 Torino 2006 Sprint Men Hanevold

Image credit: Reuters

The decision to put Hanevold on the first leg ensures a solid - and rapid - start to the Norwegian's bid to retain the gold they won in Salt Lake City.

Bjoerndalen too has surprised, but only by failing to yet win gold despite being the world's outstanding athlete of the last decade.

Silver from the Individual and Pursuit - when his legendary ski speed failed him - are meagre returns for a man tipped to sweep all before him as he had four years ago.

BIATHLON 2006 Torino 2006 France Pursuit Men Bjoerndalen Defrasne

Image credit: dpa

QUESTION MARKS

Nonetheless, Bjoerndalen remains a fearsome performer, and the anchor-leg face-off with the man who pipped him to Individual gold, Michael Greis, will be explosive with the Norwegian's extra sheen of class telling.

The question marks rest over second-leg man Eckhoff - the only one of the four not in the gold-medal quartet four years ago - who has struggled to find consistency on the range, as has Andresen.

It is always a mystery which Andresen will turn up whenever the Norwegian races.

Probably the quickest man over the snow, Andresen can shoot wildly and finish fifteenth - as he did in the Individual - or miss just once and take a Sprint bronze.

BIATHLON 2006 Torino 2006 Sprint Men Andresen

Image credit: Reuters

But safe in the knowledge the pacy Bjoerndalen follows him will allow the 32-year-old to ski just below his maximum and give him the chance to tame his bete noire, the range.

As they did four years ago, Germany's foursome - with Greis, Sprint winner Sven Fischer, Ricco Gross and the promising Michael Roesch - will provide the stiffest competition.

There is no doubt the Germans have upped their performances for the Games, as witnessed by the superb wins of Greis and Fischer, but everything could hinge on how Roesch - the weakest link - faces up to Eckhoff.

Battle for the bronze looks likely to be between Russia - the men disappointing so far - and France, who with Pursuit winner Vincent Defrasne on a high and Raphael Poiree hungry for a fine performance, should grab another medal.

Torino 2006 schedule/results

Torino 2006

Pound faces day in court

24/01/2007 at 15:45

Torino 2006

IOC get Turin doping report

16/01/2007 at 15:25

Torino 2006

Five moments that made the Games

01/03/2006 at 07:41