Johannes Thingnes Boe anchors Norway to Biathlon World Championships mixed realy gold in Oberhof

BySportsbeat

Updated 08/02/2023 at 18:06 GMT

Johannes Thingnes Boe anchored Norway to gold in the mixed relay as Germany as France and Italy battled it out for silver at the Biathlon World Championships. Norway fell behind after Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold had to take a penalty loop which gave the favourites a big deficit to overcome. Stream the 2023 Biathlon World Championships live on Eurosport and discovery+.

WATCH - Boe comes home to seal historic gold in Mixed Team Relay, Italy claim silver

Norway reigned victorious with mixed relay gold on the first day of the Biathlon World Championships in Oberhof.

It was a difficult start for Norway after Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold took to the penalty loop after her standing shoot, which saw the favourites drop to over 50 seconds behind.

Marte Olsbu Roiseland, Sturla Holm Laegreid and Johannes Thingnes Boe shot their team to gold, clawing back the deficit to win in a combined time of 1:04:49.90.

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“It was changing all the time," said Boe after the race. "I was afraid to lose the gold medal in the first stage [after using three spare rounds]. We fought to the end.

"I was thinking that three extra shots and penalty loop is the same as six extra shots and no penalty loops. That kept my mind positive. Sturla made the greatest race to put us in front; from there it was quite hard.

“As a team, some do good, some do bad. We want to use maximum one spare each, but that was not the case today. The most important thing is the result in the end.”

Italy were in contention for the win going onto the last lap, but Boe's ski speed saw Norway romp away as the Italians took silver.

France were first after the first leg with Julia Simon 9.7 seconds ahead of Italy's Lisa Vittozzi but Dorothea Wierer put her team on the front foot heading into the halfway point.

However, they settled for bronze, even after a mistake from Quentin Fillon Maillet who went the wrong way to the finish line so had to turn back around, before holding onto third place.