The Norwegian biathlon season is not over yet, as athletes gathered this weekend for the national championships in Os.
With the exception of Vetle Christiansen, who is injured, and Sturla Laegreid, who was excused, all top athletes took part in the race.
The sprint was won by Olympic mass start champion Johannes Dale, who delivered a perfect 10/10 shooting performance and secured the title.
However, the main story of the race was Einar Hedegart — a two-time Olympic champion in cross-country skiing — who came incredibly close to victory.
Despite making three shooting mistakes and having very limited shooting practice since November, Hedegart produced a phenomenal performance on the track and finished just 13 seconds behind Dale.
“We couldn’t let Einar win with three misses,” Dale said after the race.
Hedegart once again demonstrated his incredible skiing speed, raising serious questions about his future — whether he will fully commit to biathlon or remain in cross-country skiing.
“I suggest that the federation breaks all the usual rules and makes an exception — to include me as a seventh athlete. I think it would be a win-win situation,” Hedegart said in an interview.
Ole Tafjord Suhrke, another very fast skier, completed the podium, finishing 20 seconds behind Dale despite spending two minutes on the shooting range.
Martin Nevland placed fourth at +30 seconds, followed by Herman Borge and Johan Olav Botn, who is expected to join the Norwegian A team for the upcoming season.
