Exclusive: Michael Roesch – The only person who can stop Johannes Thingnes Boe at World Championships is himself

Former Olympic champion Michael Roesch has told Eurosport ahead of the biathlon World Championships that Norwegian superstar Johannes Thingnes Boe is the man to beat, and the only person who can stop the World Cup leader is himself.

Boe, 29, has been back to his imperious best after a difficult time last season, winning 11 races in the World Cup, including all of the six events leading up to the World Championships.

And speaking to Eurosport ahead of the championships, which you can watch exclusively on Eurosport and discovery+, Roesch was full of praise for the Norwegian.

Roesch said: “When you speak about Boe only one person can stop him and that's himself actually.

“I have been on a lot of podcasts lately, and we spoke about his performance. It's just crazy. Especially if you see his key time. After, I don't know, 800 metres he's like 10 or 15 seconds in front of everybody.

Roesch, who raced against French legend Martin Fourcade, who will also work as a biathlon expert during the championships for Eurosport, remembered the 2018 season when Fourcade and Boe were dominant, but didn’t sweep the Olympic medals.

He also pointed out that Oberhof can be one of the more unpredictable venues, especially if the weather starts playing up.

Roesch said: “It's like the domination that Martin Fourcade used to have in the season sometimes, it can be pretty hard to beat. But I always remember, I think it was 2018, the Olympic season, you had two guys, it was Martin and Johannes and they were unbeatable.

“But in the end at the Olympic Games, it was Arnd Peiffer who won the sprint.

“So we are in Oberhof, you know, the weather it's unpredictable. It's wind, it could be fog. It could be you know, the big stadium with around 20,000 people, there's a lot of potential points in terms of who will win, and you have to bring it on the day when it matters.

“And for me, the sprint is most important for the women and for the men. So I think he [Boe] will win but it's not like he will win easily. And, of course, he can run one penalty loop out with his fast skiing. But there is a little chance that somebody else could be on the top. But it's a small chance to be honest.

“I know we have seen a big overhaul since the last World Championships at Oberhof in 2004. That's a long time ago and it was crazy. I don't know if you remember, it was windy, it was raining, it was snowing, there was fog. There was everything! And this was also in February, normally we see Oberhof in January, January is mostly the same s*** with the weather.

“I mean everybody knows the story about Oberhof, but in February, I checked the weather forecast a little bit maybe a week or so ago, but it could be nice weather actually. So you never know what happens with weather, I'm not God, I can't make the weather change.

“And this could actually be the game changer because in China, actually, with the Olympic Games, there was so much wind and Oberhof is known as a windy stadium. So this would be a big point. And I think a good shooter, even if they are a medium or average skier, could be on the top or at least they could be on the podium, like out of nowhere, you know? And I think what I hope and I pray for is that Oberhof will have nice conditions like fair conditions, you know, but we have to see it day by day.”

In terms of the Germans competing, Roesch is optimistic for Denise Herrmann-Wick, who has had a good season and is showing some real consistency.

Roesch said: “I really hope for her that she gets this f****** medal because she's so consistent this year, she has trained so hard.

“She skis so fast, her average shooting is up, compared to the last few seasons. But this year, the situation is totally changed for me last year, she had really bad preparation, she was sick, she was not mentally fit.

“I don't know if you remember the last mass start in Antholz she was like 23rd. And everybody was freaking out saying, 'Oh, what the f*** would happen?!' and then two weeks later, she was Olympic champion.

“This year, she has won a World Cup, she is competing in the overall ranking she is one of the best athletes in the world. And the pressure, of course, you know, with the crowd, with the media, from herself. This is a lot and I really hope and pray for her that she will get the medal.”

In general Roesch is extremely excited for the women’s tournament, with eight different winners already this season.

“I really love the women's competition this year because it's like you said it's so close, it's unpredictable," he said. "I mean, you have Julia Simon and Elvira Oberg who are a bit out in front in the overall rankings. There's a little bit of a gap to third and fourth.

“So these two women, and of course, (Lisa) Vittozzi and (Dorothea) Wierer they like Oberhof, especially Lisa, she won in 2019 I think it was a double podium. And she likes the tracks and she's back in business, I'm really happy for her.

“But there's so many names. Marketa Davidova, Marte Olsbu Roiseland and Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold, there’s the Germans, even Vanessa Folk she's able to maybe in the individual, she can win a medal.

“Then there’s the French team, they are young and pushing for podiums and other Swedes as well like Anna Magnusson and Linn Persson, there are just so many names who can be on the podium. And I think it will be a nice one this year with the women's races as it's so unpredictable.”

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