Ole Einar Bjørndalen
Encyclopedia
Ole Einar Bjørndalen is a Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

 professional biathlete. He is often regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time. In 1992, he won his first career medal at the junior world championships. A year later In 1993, after winning a record three junior world championship titles, Bjørndalen made his Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

 debut. His breakthrough came in 1994 when he featured on his first World Cup podium in a Sprint
Biathlon
Biathlon is a term used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines. However, biathlon usually refers specifically to the winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting...

 race held in Bad Gastein
Bad Gastein
Bad Gastein is a spa town in the Austrian state of Salzburg, situated at the northern rim of the Hohe Tauern national park. It has 5,838 inhabitants. The name "Bad" means "spa", reflecting the town's history as a health resort. It is located at the head of the Gastein valley, about 1,000 metres ...

, Austria. Bjørndalen's first participation at the Olympic Games was during the Lillehammer 1994 Winter Olympics
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...

, which were held in his home country of Norway. He obtained his first major victory on 11 January 1996 in an individual competition held in Antholz-Anterselva
Rasen-Antholz
Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:...

, Italy.

Bjørndalen occasionally competes in cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...

, and in 2006 he won an FIS
International Ski Federation
The International Ski Federation, known by its name in French, Fédération Internationale de Ski is the main international organisation for ski sports...

 Cross-Country World Cup
FIS Cross-Country World Cup
The FIS Cross-Country World Cup is an annual cross-country skiing competition, arranged by the International Ski Federation since 1981. The competition was arranged unofficially between 1973 and 1981, although it received provisional recognition on the 31...

 race in Gällivare
Gällivare
Gällivare is a locality and the seat of Gällivare Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden with 8,480 inhabitants in 2005. The town was founded in the 17th century...

, Sweden, to become the first ever biathlete to win a cross-country competition. He is also the only biathlete who has won every event during the same Winter Olympic Games (four gold medals). He achieved this feat at the Salt Lake City 2002
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...

 Winter Olympics, becoming the most successful athlete there. This makes him one of only three Olympians to win four gold medals during the same Winter Games. Seven years later he repeated this medal haul at the 2009 Biathlon World Championships
Biathlon World Championships 2009
The 43rd Biathlon World Championships were held in Pyeongchang, South Korea from February 13 to February 22, 2009. It was the first time that the Biathlon World Championships were held in Asia ....

 in Pyeongchang
Pyeongchang County
Pyeongchang is a county in Gangwon province, South Korea located in the Taebaek Mountains region. It is also home to several Buddhist temples, including Woljeongsa. It is located approximately east of Seoul, the capital of South Korea...

, South Korea.

At the Vancouver 2010
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...

 Winter Olympics, Bjørndalen became the most successful biathlete in Winter Olympic history by surpassing the previous record of 9 career Olympic medals, which he shared with Uschi Disl
Uschi Disl
Ursula Disl is a former German biathlete. , . She resides with her Swedish boyfriend Tomas Söderberg in Austria, and like most German Nordic skiers, is in the military as a border patrol guard...

 of Germany. He then anchored Norway to gold in the Men's 4 x 7.5 km relay
Biathlon at the 2010 Winter Olympics
The biathlon competition at the 2010 Winter Olympics were held at Whistler Olympic Park in Whistler, British Columbia. The events were held between the 13th and 26 February 2010....

. This was the second time that Norway had won a title in this event, with the other being at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Biathlon at the 2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympic Games Biathlon were held at Soldier Hollow.-10 km Sprint:Without any misses with the shooting, Bjørndalen wins his second gold of the Games.-12.5 km Pursuit:...

 (also anchored by Bjørndalen). With this victory he became the second most decorated Winter Olympian of all time and one of only two athletes to win 11 medals at the Winter Olympics. Only fellow Norwegian Bjørn Dæhlie
Bjørn Dæhlie
Bjørn Erlend Dæhlie is a Norwegian businessman and retired cross-country skier. With 8 olympic gold medals, Dæhlie is the most winning winter olympic champion of all time. With nine gold medals in the Nord World Ski Championships he is in addition the most winning World Champion skier...

 has won more Olympic medals, with 12 in total.

As of March 2010, Bjørndalen has won six Olympic
Winter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...

 gold medals, four silver and a bronze, as well as 16 World Championship
Biathlon World Championships
The first Biathlon World Championships was held in 1958, with individual and team contests for men. The number of events has grown significantly over the years. Beginning in 1984, women biathletes had their own World Championships, and finally, from 1989, both genders have been participating in...

 gold medals, eleven silver and nine bronze (more than anybody in biathlon history). In addition, he has a record 92 World Cup victories and 159 podium finishes. He also finished in the top 3 of the Overall World Cup rankings for a record thirteen successive seasons between the 1996–97 and 2008–09 seasons. As well as being the most decorated biathlete in history, he is generally viewed as the greatest biathlete of all time.

Bjørndalen resides between the villages of Obertilliach
Obertilliach
Obertilliach is a municipality in the district of Lienz in Tyrol in Austria....

, Austria, and Toblach
Toblach
Toblach is a comune/Gemeinde in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located in the Puster Valley about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 70 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.As of November 30, 2010, it had a...

, Italy, with his wife, Italian-Belgian biathlete Nathalie Santer, whom he married on 27 May 2006. In March 2011, he, Michael Greis
Michael Greis
Michael Greis is a German triple Olympic gold medalist in biathlon.Greis first competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, finishing 15th and 16th in the 10 km sprint and 12.5 km pursuit events in the biathlon.Greis won the World Cup in the individual category in 2004/05, and...

 and Andrea Henkel
Andrea Henkel
Andrea Henkel is a German biathlete and the younger sister of Manuela Henkel, a successful cross-country skier. She trains at SV Großbreitenbach...

 were awarded the Holmenkollen Medal, as the first biathletes to receive the medal.

2005/06 World Cup season

Bjørndalen finished the 2005/06 IBU Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

 season in first place, with Frenchman Raphaël Poirée
Raphaël Poirée
Raphaël Poirée is a retired French biathlete who was active from 1999 to 2007. With his 44 World cup victories and several World Championship medals he ranks among the most successful biathletes ever.-Biography:...

 in second place and German Sven Fischer
Sven Fischer
Sven Fischer is a former German biathlete. He trained with the WSV Oberhof club, and was coached by Frank Ullrich and Fritz Fischer and Klaus Siebert...

 in third. Bjørndalen lay in third place in the standings going into the last three races of the season in Holmenkollen, with Poiree in first, and Fischer in second. However Bjørndalen won all three races, giving him six victories in the last eight races, and clinching the crystal globe. He also won the pursuit, and the mass start title, and came second in the individual and the sprint. In the pursuit he finished ahead of Fischer by 54 points, and 29 points ahead of Poiree in the mass start. In the individual he finished 41 points behind Michael Greis
Michael Greis
Michael Greis is a German triple Olympic gold medalist in biathlon.Greis first competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, finishing 15th and 16th in the 10 km sprint and 12.5 km pursuit events in the biathlon.Greis won the World Cup in the individual category in 2004/05, and...

, and in the sprint he was 5 points behind Tomasz Sikora
Tomasz Sikora
Tomasz Sikora , is a Polish biathlete.In 1993 he finished second in 10 km sprint at world youth championships in Ruhpolding....

. Norway finished fourth in the team relay.

His winning the World Cup title was all the more spectacular because of a cold he developed over the last Christmas period, in which he missed races 5 to 11, only coming back for the three events in Antholz, Italy, starting on 19 January 2006, this being the last World Cup competition before the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...

. During his illness Bjørndalen spent eight days in bed, and only started training six days before the first race in Antholz, including in his preparations two high intensity skiing sessions but no shooting practice. Probably that is one of the major reasons for his not-as-expected performance at the Winter Olympics in Turin. His not so fast skiing and unsecure shooting along with extremely bad luck left him without any gold medal and "only" with 2 silver and 1 bronze medals. It's a pity that his best and superhuman performance came at the relay event, where at the 3rd exchange he found Norway on 10th place about 2:40 minutes behind. By incredibly fast skiing, extremely fast and non-failure shooting Bjørndalen managed to reach the 5th place, having decreased 1:20 minutes. His absence from the races during the season and him still being able to win the championship further fuels the discussion of whether there are too many races in the World Cup schedule and whether athletes should be advised to sit some out.

Bjørndalen closed out the season by winning all three events (sprint, pursuit, and mass start) at the Holmenkollen ski festival
Holmenkollen ski festival
The Holmenkollen Ski Festival is a traditional annual Nordic skiing event in Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway. The full official name of the event is Holmenkollen FIS World Cup Nordic. It takes place in March and has been arranged every year since 1892, except for 1898 and during World War II...

 biathlon competition. This put his career victories at the ski events to five, having won once both in 2003 (pursuit) and in 2004 (sprint).

2006/07 World Cup season

Bjørndalen made a perfect start to the season, winning all of the first five races in Östersund
Östersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...

 and Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing...

.
In the fifth race of the season, the pursuit race in Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing...

, he won with one of his largest margins ever, more than 2 minutes.
On 30 December 2006 Bjørndalen took part in the famous Biathlon World Team Challenge in Gelsenkirchen (Veltins Arena, the Schalke 04's stadium). In front of about 51 000 people he won it for 4th time in a row. His partner for second consecutive time was Linda Grubben
Linda Grubben
Linda Grubben is a retired Norwegian biathlete.She won a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in the 4x 7.5 km relay, while winning the gold medal at the Biathlon World Championship 2004 in Oberhof, 2004...

. They both left their greatest rivals, the Robert family, more than 1 minute behind.
In Oberhof
Oberhof, Germany
Oberhof is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district of Thuringia, Germany. It is a winter sports center and health resort. It is visited by tenfold as many tourists every year...

, coming down from training in the heights, he performed below standard for the season, shooting bad, and finishing only 30th and 5th in the individual cometitions.
In Ruhpolding Ole started good as usual by leading his team-mates to victory in the relay event. In the 2 following individual competitions he cormfirmed he was back on track winning the 2 individual competitions. Since he participated in the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships Sapporo 2007, he missed several Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

 events, and after missing 8 competitions altogether Bjørndalen finished second in the overall standings, after German Michael Greis
Michael Greis
Michael Greis is a German triple Olympic gold medalist in biathlon.Greis first competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, finishing 15th and 16th in the 10 km sprint and 12.5 km pursuit events in the biathlon.Greis won the World Cup in the individual category in 2004/05, and...

.

2008/09 World Cup season

Bjørndalen started off the season suffering from the effects of long-term illness. Although delivering mostly rather unusual results in the races before the Christmas break, he still placed second in both of the pursuit events. He skipped the Biathlon World Team Challenge in Gelsenkirchen, focusing on training instead. After the break, he returned with variable, but more stable results, including victories in both the sprint and pursuit events in Ruhpolding and a third place in the mass start in Oberhof.

Controversy at World Championships 2009

At the Biathlon World Championships 2009 in Pyeongchang, during the men's 12.5 km pursuit, Bjørndalen with at least 15 other competitors accidentally skied the wrong way at the start of the first lap. Just after leaving the start, the athletes skied over a bridge instead of skiing besides it (they lost 2 seconds that way), which was the right way. A jury meeting decided to give all these athletes a one minute time penalty, following a complaint from the Russian team. However, another complaint by seven other member states led to the Appeal Jury reverting to the original result. And with his first ever 20 km Individual World Championship title he won 4 out of 6 possible gold medals (10 km sprint, 12.5 km pursuit, 20 km Individual and the 4×7.5 km relay).

After the World Championships he kept on achieving victories. With a second place in the sprint in Vancouver, he took over the world cup overall lead. He followed up with a second place, and two victories at the events in Granåsen, Trondheim (the latter being a mass start where he, for the first time in quite a while, shot clean). With the last one, he had 89. world cup victories (3 above Ingemar Stenmark), and 151 podiums. He secured his sixth overall win in the last sprint of the season, in Khanty-Mansiysk where he placed second. In the following event (a pursuit), he was beaten at the finish line by fellow teammate Emil Hegle Svendsen
Emil Hegle Svendsen
Emil Hegle Svendsen is a Norwegian biathlete. He skis with Strindheim IL, based in Trondheim. He is tall, and weighs 170 lb ....

, and won the pursuit cup as well.

Achievements and honours

In 1993, at the age of 19, Bjørndalen became the first biathlete ever to win a grand slam by winning all 3 possible gold medals on the Junior Biathlon World Championships.
As of February 2009, Bjørndalen has won five Olympic gold medals, three Olympic silver, one Olympic bronze, thirteen World Championship
Biathlon World Championships
The first Biathlon World Championships was held in 1958, with individual and team contests for men. The number of events has grown significantly over the years. Beginning in 1984, women biathletes had their own World Championships, and finally, from 1989, both genders have been participating in...

 gold medals, ten silver, and nine bronze, and a record high of 92 individual Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

 wins, the most of any biathlete to date. He has won the World Cup six times (1997/1998, 2002/2003, 2004/2005, 2005/2006, 2007/2008, and 2008/2009) finished second four times (1998/1999, 1999/2000, 2000/2001, 2003/2004), and third once (2001/2002). In his first season (1992/1993) he finished 62nd, the season after, 30th and the season after that, 4th. When winning the overall world cup in 1998, at the age of 24, he actually won all that is possible in biathlon in one season – world championships gold medal, Olympic gold medal and the overall world cup title. His World Cup podium record is 161 (more than 159 including the victory and the podiums in cross-country) podium finishes, 92 1st places, 45 2nd places, and 22 3rd places. He is the only biathlete ever to win all four biathlon events in a single Winter Olympics (2002 Salt Lake City Games
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...

). This encompasses the sprint, pursuit, individual, and relay events, the latter together with three other participants (The first mass start only began in the 2006 Winter Olympics). He has said his target is to win nine Olympic gold medals before he, if he choses to follow the current plan, retires after the 2014 Games in Sochi
2014 Winter Olympics
The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially the XXII Olympic Winter Games, or the 22nd Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event scheduled to be celebrated from 7 to 23 February 2014, in Sochi, Russia with some events held in the resort town of Krasnaya Polyana. Both the Olympic and...

. According to his wife, Nathalie Santer, and himself, as long as he is healthy and has the energy and motivation, he will race until 2014. Bjørndalen's 92 Biathlon World Cup victories and 1 cross-country victory is thirty ahead of Annemarie Moser-Pröll
Annemarie Moser-Pröll
Annemarie Moser-Pröll is a former champion alpine ski racer. She was the most successful female World Cup racer during the 1970s. She celebrated her biggest successes in Downhill, Giant Slalom and Combined races...

 and he is now ahead of Ingemar Stenmark
Ingemar Stenmark
Jan Ingemar Stenmark is a Swedish former skier, active during the 1970s and 1980s. He is regarded as one of the most prominent Swedish sportsmen, and as the greatest slalom and giant slalom specialist of all time. He competed for Fjällvinden Tärnaby.Stenmark was born in the province of Lappland...

's former record of 86 World Cup victories.

Bjørndalen occasionally competes in cross country races, and has raced in World Championships before. During the off season in April, the Norwegian Skarverennet
Skarverennet
Skarverennet is a cross country skiing race held in Norway, arranged by the club Geilo IL. The race begins in Finse and finishes in Ustaoset, it is 38 km long. There is an alternative stretch from Haugastøl to Ustaoset...

 takes place, a 38 km race in the mountains between Finse
Finse
Finse is an area in the Ulvik municipality of Hordaland, Norway. The railway station at Finse on the Bergensbanen at 1,222m is the highest station on the entire Norwegian railway system. Since there are no roads to Finse, the railway provides the sole means of transportation to and from Finse....

 and Ustaoset
Ustaoset
Ustaoset is a village in Hol municipality, Buskerud, Norway. It has a station on Bergensbanen between Geilo and Finse, as well as a hotel and mountain resort cabins....

. Bjørndalen has competed in this competition, in 2006 he won the race in a time of 1:31.25, one second ahead of Frode Andresen
Frode Andresen
Frode Andresen is a Norwegian biathlete and a cross-country skier. He now resides in Hønefoss, and trains with the Ringkollen Skiklubb.-Early life:...

, and seven seconds ahead of third place Kristen Skjeldal
Kristen Skjeldal
Kristen Skjeldal is an Olympic champion and cross country skier from Norway. He has won three olympic medals: two gold and one bronze. He won his first gold medal in the 4 x 10 km relay at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville...

. In 2007 he won the race again and in 2008 he finished on second place. For his accomplishments in biathlon and cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...

, Bjørndalen received the Egebergs Ærespris
Egebergs Ærespris
The Egebergs Ærespris is a prize awarded to Norwegian athletes who excel in more than one sport. The prize was created by Ferdinand Julian Egeberg, and consists of a bronze statuette modelled by sculptor Magnus Vigrestad.-History:...

 in 2002.

Olympic Games

Event Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass start Relay
  1994 Lillehammer
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...

36th 28th 7th
  1998 Nagano
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...

7th Gold Silver
  2002 Salt Lake City Gold Gold Gold Gold
  2006 Turin Silver 12th Silver Bronze 5th
  2010 Vancouver Silver 17th 7th 27th Gold

World Championships

Event Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass start Relay Mixed relay
  1995 Antholz
Biathlon World Championships 1995
The 30th Biathlon World Championships were held in 1995 for the third time in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy.-10 km sprint:-20 km individual:-4 x 7.5 km relay:-Team event:-7.5 km sprint:-15 km individual:-4 x 7.5 km relay:-Team event:...

12th 4th 5th
  1996 Ruhpolding
Biathlon World Championships 1996
The 31st Biathlon World Championships were held in 1996 for the third time in Ruhpolding, Germany.-10 km sprint:-20 km individual:-4 x 7.5 km relay:-Team event:-7.5 km sprint:-15 km individual:-4 x 7.5 km relay:-Team event:...

19th 6th 4th
  1997 Brezno-Osrblie
Biathlon World Championships 1997
The 32nd Biathlon World Championships were held in 1997 in Brezno-Osrblie, Slovakia. The pursuit races were contested for the first time in the world championships.-10 km sprint:-12,5 km pursuit:-20 km individual:-4 x 7.5 km relay:-Team event:...

6th 9th Bronze Silver
  1998 Pokljuka
Biathlon World Championships 1998
The 33rd Biathlon World Championships held in 1998 in Pokljuka, Slovenia, and for the second time in Hochfilzen, Austria were only for the pursuit races and the team events because these were not part of the Olympic programme in Nagano....

Silver Gold
  1999 Kontiolahti
Biathlon World Championships 1999
The 34th Biathlon World Championships were held in 1999 in Kontiolahti, Finland. Due to the cold, the individual and the mass start events were moved to Oslo, Norway...

4th 19th 5th Bronze Bronze
  2000 Oslo
Biathlon World Championships 2000
The 35th Biathlon World Championships were held in 2000 for the second time in Oslo, Norway. Due to fog, the men's relay was moved to Lahti, Finland.-10 km sprint:-12,5 km pursuit:-15 km mass start:-20 km individual:-4 x 7.5 km relay:...

20th 5th 4th Bronze Silver
  2001 Pokljuka
Biathlon World Championships 2001
The 36th Biathlon World Championships were held in 2001 for the second time in Pokljuka, Slovenia.-10 km sprint:-12,5 km pursuit:-15 km mass start:-20 km individual:-4 x 7.5 km relay:-7.5 km sprint:-10 km pursuit:...

10th 19th 4th Silver Bronze
  2003 Khanty-Mansiysk
Biathlon World Championships 2003
The 38th Biathlon World Championships were held in 2003 in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.-10 km sprint:-12,5 km pursuit:-15 km mass start:-20 km individual:-4 x 7.5 km relay:-7.5 km sprint:-10 km pursuit:...

30th Gold 8th Gold 4th
  2004 Oberhof
Biathlon World Championships 2004
The 39th Biathlon World Championships were held in 2004 in Oberhof, Germany.-10 km sprint:-12,5 km pursuit:-15 km mass start:-20 km individual:-4 x 7.5 km relay:-7.5 km sprint:-10 km pursuit:-12.5 km mass start:...

Bronze Bronze Bronze 7th Silver
  2005 Hochfilzen 6th Gold Gold Gold Gold
  2006 Pokljuka
Biathlon World Championships 2006
The Mixed Relay Biathlon World Championships was held in Pokljuka, Slovenia on March 12, 2006. As for the rules of biathlon in the year of the Winter Olympic Games World Championships being played only in disciplines not included in the Olympic program, therefore the championship consisted only of...

Silver
  2007 Antholz
Biathlon World Championships 2007
The 41st Biathlon World Championships were held in 2007 for the fourth time in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy from February 2 to February 11.-Opening ceremony:* Date / Time: Fri February 3, 2007 / 20:00 CET...

32 Gold Gold 4th Silver
  2008 Östersund
Biathlon World Championships 2008
The 42nd Biathlon World Championships were held in Östersund in Jämtland in central Sweden from February 8 to February 17, 2008. It was the second time Östersund was hosting the Biathlon World Championships, the first being in 1970...

Silver Bronze Gold Silver Silver
  2009 Pyeongchang
Biathlon World Championships 2009
The 43rd Biathlon World Championships were held in Pyeongchang, South Korea from February 13 to February 22, 2009. It was the first time that the Biathlon World Championships were held in Asia ....

Gold Gold Gold 4th Gold 4th
  2010 Khanty-Mansiysk
Biathlon World Championships 2010
The Mixed Relay Biathlon World Championships was held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia on March 28, 2010. As for the rules of biathlon in the year of the Winter Olympic Games World Championships being played only in disciplines not included in the Olympic program, therefore the championship consists only...

Silver
  2011 Khanty-Mansiysk
Biathlon World Championships 2011
The 44th Biathlon World Championships was held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia from March 3 to March 13 2011.There was a total of 11 competitions: sprint, pursuit, individual, mass start, and relay races for men and women, and mixed relay...

6th 22nd 24th 6th Gold Gold

Overall record

Result Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass start Relay Mixed relay Total
1st Place 7 35 35 14 21 112
2nd Place 8 19 11 6 15 1 60
3rd Place 2 10 6 6 10 34
Top 10 12 33 20 11 10 1 87
11–20 11 19 6 4 40
21–40 13 5 1 1 20
41–50 3 5 1 9
Others 7 2 9
Starts 62 127 80 42 56 2 371

*Results in all IBU World Cup races.

Junior/Youth World Championships

Event Individual Sprint Relay Team
  1992 Canmore
Canmore, Alberta
Canmore is a town in Alberta, Canada, located approximately west of the City of Calgary near the southeast boundary of Banff National Park. It is located in the Bow Valley within Alberta's Rockies. The town shares a border with Kananaskis Country to the west and south and the Municipal District of...

23rd 47th 6th Bronze
  1993 Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400....

Gold Gold 8th Gold

Individual victories

Date Event Competition Level
11 January 1996   Antholz-Anterselva
Rasen-Antholz
Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:...

20 km Individual Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

4 January 1997   Oberhof
Oberhof, Germany
Oberhof is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district of Thuringia, Germany. It is a winter sports center and health resort. It is visited by tenfold as many tourists every year...

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

5 January 1997   Oberhof
Oberhof, Germany
Oberhof is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district of Thuringia, Germany. It is a winter sports center and health resort. It is visited by tenfold as many tourists every year...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

11 January 1997   Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400....

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

17 January 1998   Antholz-Anterselva
Rasen-Antholz
Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:...

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

18 February 1998   Nagano-Nozawa Onsen
Nagano, Nagano
, the capital city of Nagano Prefecture, is located in the northern part of the prefecture near the confluence of the Chikuma and the Sai rivers, on the main Japanese island of Honshū.As of April 1, 2011 the city has a population of 387,146...

10 km Sprint Winter Olympic Games
11 December 1998   Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing...

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

9 January 1999   Oberhof
Oberhof, Germany
Oberhof is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district of Thuringia, Germany. It is a winter sports center and health resort. It is visited by tenfold as many tourists every year...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

23 January 1999   Antholz-Anterselva
Rasen-Antholz
Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

2 December 1999   Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing...

20 km Individual Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

4 December 1999   Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

6 January 2000   Oberhof
Oberhof, Germany
Oberhof is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district of Thuringia, Germany. It is a winter sports center and health resort. It is visited by tenfold as many tourists every year...

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

7 January 2000   Oberhof
Oberhof, Germany
Oberhof is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district of Thuringia, Germany. It is a winter sports center and health resort. It is visited by tenfold as many tourists every year...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

22 January 2000   Antholz-Anterselva
Rasen-Antholz
Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

1 December 2000   Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing...

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

17 December 2000   Brezno-Osrblie 12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

12 January 2001   Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400....

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

18 January 2001   Antholz-Anterselva
Rasen-Antholz
Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:...

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

21 January 2001   Antholz-Anterselva
Rasen-Antholz
Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:...

15 km Mass Start Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

28 February 2001   Salt Lake City 20 km Individual Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

2 March 2001   Salt Lake City 10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

3 March 2001   Salt Lake City 12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

6 December 2001   Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing...

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

9 December 2001   Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

11 February 2002   Salt Lake City 20 km Individual Winter Olympic Games
13 February 2002   Salt Lake City 10 km Sprint Winter Olympic Games
16 February 2002   Salt Lake City 12.5 km Pursuit Winter Olympic Games
8 December 2002   Östersund
Östersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

14 December 2002   Pokljuka
Pokljuka
Pokljuka is a foresty plateau at the altitude of around 1300 metres, situated partly in the municipality of Bled and partly in municipality of Bohinj in northwestern Slovenia. It is part of Triglav national park...

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

15 December 2002   Pokljuka
Pokljuka
Pokljuka is a foresty plateau at the altitude of around 1300 metres, situated partly in the municipality of Bled and partly in municipality of Bohinj in northwestern Slovenia. It is part of Triglav national park...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

9 January 2003   Oberhof
Oberhof, Germany
Oberhof is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district of Thuringia, Germany. It is a winter sports center and health resort. It is visited by tenfold as many tourists every year...

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

12 January 2003   Oberhof
Oberhof, Germany
Oberhof is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district of Thuringia, Germany. It is a winter sports center and health resort. It is visited by tenfold as many tourists every year...

15 km Mass Start Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

18 January 2003   Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400....

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

19 January 2003   Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400....

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

9 February 2003   Lahti
Lahti
Lahti is a city and municipality in Finland.Lahti is the capital of the Päijänne Tavastia region. It is situated on a bay at the southern end of lake Vesijärvi about north-east of the capital Helsinki...

15 km Mass Start Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

16 February 2003   Oslo Holmenkollen
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

15 March 2003   Khanty-Mansiysk
Khanty-Mansiysk
Khanty-Mansiysk experiences a subarctic climate . The climate is extreme, with temperatures as low as -49 C° and as high as 34.5 C°. On average, however, the region is very cold, with an average tempurature of -1.1 C°...

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Championships
Biathlon World Championships
The first Biathlon World Championships was held in 1958, with individual and team contests for men. The number of events has grown significantly over the years. Beginning in 1984, women biathletes had their own World Championships, and finally, from 1989, both genders have been participating in...

23 March 2003   Khanty-Mansiysk
Khanty-Mansiysk
Khanty-Mansiysk experiences a subarctic climate . The climate is extreme, with temperatures as low as -49 C° and as high as 34.5 C°. On average, however, the region is very cold, with an average tempurature of -1.1 C°...

15 km Mass Start Biathlon World Championships
Biathlon World Championships
The first Biathlon World Championships was held in 1958, with individual and team contests for men. The number of events has grown significantly over the years. Beginning in 1984, women biathletes had their own World Championships, and finally, from 1989, both genders have been participating in...

4 December 2003   Kontiolahti
Kontiolahti
Kontiolahti is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the North Karelia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

7 December 2003   Kontiolahti
Kontiolahti
Kontiolahti is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the North Karelia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

14 December 2003   Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

10 January 2004   Pokljuka
Pokljuka
Pokljuka is a foresty plateau at the altitude of around 1300 metres, situated partly in the municipality of Bled and partly in municipality of Bohinj in northwestern Slovenia. It is part of Triglav national park...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

18 January 2004   Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400....

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

2 December 2004   Beitostolen 10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

11 December 2004   Oslo Holmenkollen
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

15 January 2005   Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400....

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

16 January 2005   Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400....

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

19 January 2005   Antholz-Anterselva
Rasen-Antholz
Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:...

20 km Individual Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

21 January 2005   Antholz-Anterselva
Rasen-Antholz
Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:...

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

23 January 2005   Antholz-Anterselva
Rasen-Antholz
Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

20 February 2005   Pokljuka
Pokljuka
Pokljuka is a foresty plateau at the altitude of around 1300 metres, situated partly in the municipality of Bled and partly in municipality of Bohinj in northwestern Slovenia. It is part of Triglav national park...

15 km Mass Start Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

5 March 2005   Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing...

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Championships
Biathlon World Championships
The first Biathlon World Championships was held in 1958, with individual and team contests for men. The number of events has grown significantly over the years. Beginning in 1984, women biathletes had their own World Championships, and finally, from 1989, both genders have been participating in...

6 March 2005   Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Championships
Biathlon World Championships
The first Biathlon World Championships was held in 1958, with individual and team contests for men. The number of events has grown significantly over the years. Beginning in 1984, women biathletes had their own World Championships, and finally, from 1989, both genders have been participating in...

13 March 2005   Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing...

15 km Mass Start Biathlon World Championships
Biathlon World Championships
The first Biathlon World Championships was held in 1958, with individual and team contests for men. The number of events has grown significantly over the years. Beginning in 1984, women biathletes had their own World Championships, and finally, from 1989, both genders have been participating in...

17 March 2005   Khanty-Mansiysk
Khanty-Mansiysk
Khanty-Mansiysk experiences a subarctic climate . The climate is extreme, with temperatures as low as -49 C° and as high as 34.5 C°. On average, however, the region is very cold, with an average tempurature of -1.1 C°...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

27 November 2005   Östersund
Östersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

22 January 2006   Antholz-Anterselva
Rasen-Antholz
Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:...

15 km Mass Start Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

8 March 2006   Pokljuka
Pokljuka
Pokljuka is a foresty plateau at the altitude of around 1300 metres, situated partly in the municipality of Bled and partly in municipality of Bohinj in northwestern Slovenia. It is part of Triglav national park...

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

11 March 2006   Pokljuka
Pokljuka
Pokljuka is a foresty plateau at the altitude of around 1300 metres, situated partly in the municipality of Bled and partly in municipality of Bohinj in northwestern Slovenia. It is part of Triglav national park...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

18 March 2006   Kontiolahti
Kontiolahti
Kontiolahti is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the North Karelia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

23 March 2006   Oslo Holmenkollen
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

25 March 2006   Oslo Holmenkollen
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

26 March 2006   Oslo Holmenkollen
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...

15 km Mass Start Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

30 November 2006   Östersund
Östersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...

20 km Individual Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

2 December 2006   Östersund
Östersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

3 December 2006   Östersund
Östersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

8 December 2006   Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing...

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

9 December 2006   Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

13 January 2007   Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400....

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

14 January 2007   Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400....

15 km Mass Start Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

3 February 2007   Antholz-Anterselva
Rasen-Antholz
Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:...

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Championships
Biathlon World Championships
The first Biathlon World Championships was held in 1958, with individual and team contests for men. The number of events has grown significantly over the years. Beginning in 1984, women biathletes had their own World Championships, and finally, from 1989, both genders have been participating in...

4 February 2007   Antholz-Anterselva
Rasen-Antholz
Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Championships
Biathlon World Championships
The first Biathlon World Championships was held in 1958, with individual and team contests for men. The number of events has grown significantly over the years. Beginning in 1984, women biathletes had their own World Championships, and finally, from 1989, both genders have been participating in...

10 March 2007   Oslo Holmenkollen
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

11 March 2007   Oslo Holmenkollen
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...

15 km Mass Start Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

1 December 2007   Kontiolahti
Kontiolahti
Kontiolahti is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the North Karelia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

8 December 2007   Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

15 December 2007   Pokljuka
Pokljuka
Pokljuka is a foresty plateau at the altitude of around 1300 metres, situated partly in the municipality of Bled and partly in municipality of Bohinj in northwestern Slovenia. It is part of Triglav national park...

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

6 January 2008   Oberhof
Oberhof, Germany
Oberhof is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district of Thuringia, Germany. It is a winter sports center and health resort. It is visited by tenfold as many tourists every year...

15 km Mass Start Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

20 January 2008   Antholz-Anterselva
Rasen-Antholz
Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:...

15 km Mass Start Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

10 February 2008   Östersund
Östersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Championships
Biathlon World Championships
The first Biathlon World Championships was held in 1958, with individual and team contests for men. The number of events has grown significantly over the years. Beginning in 1984, women biathletes had their own World Championships, and finally, from 1989, both genders have been participating in...

6 March 2008   Khanty-Mansiysk
Khanty-Mansiysk
Khanty-Mansiysk experiences a subarctic climate . The climate is extreme, with temperatures as low as -49 C° and as high as 34.5 C°. On average, however, the region is very cold, with an average tempurature of -1.1 C°...

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

17 January 2009   Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400....

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

18 January 2009   Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400....

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

14 February 2009   Pyeongchang 10 km Sprint Biathlon World Championships
Biathlon World Championships
The first Biathlon World Championships was held in 1958, with individual and team contests for men. The number of events has grown significantly over the years. Beginning in 1984, women biathletes had their own World Championships, and finally, from 1989, both genders have been participating in...

15 February 2009   Pyeongchang 12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Championships
Biathlon World Championships
The first Biathlon World Championships was held in 1958, with individual and team contests for men. The number of events has grown significantly over the years. Beginning in 1984, women biathletes had their own World Championships, and finally, from 1989, both genders have been participating in...

17 February 2009   Pyeongchang 20 km Individual Biathlon World Championships
Biathlon World Championships
The first Biathlon World Championships was held in 1958, with individual and team contests for men. The number of events has grown significantly over the years. Beginning in 1984, women biathletes had their own World Championships, and finally, from 1989, both genders have been participating in...

21 March 2009   Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

22 March 2009   Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...

15 km Mass Start Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

5 December 2009   Östersund
Östersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

11 December 2009   Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing...

10 km Sprint Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

10 January 2010   Oberhof
Oberhof, Germany
Oberhof is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district of Thuringia, Germany. It is a winter sports center and health resort. It is visited by tenfold as many tourists every year...

15 km Mass Start Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

5 December 2010   Östersund
Östersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...

12.5 km Pursuit Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....


*Results are from IBU races which include the Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....

, Biathlon World Championships
Biathlon World Championships
The first Biathlon World Championships was held in 1958, with individual and team contests for men. The number of events has grown significantly over the years. Beginning in 1984, women biathletes had their own World Championships, and finally, from 1989, both genders have been participating in...

 and the Winter Olympic Games.

Skiing

Bjørndalen is a fast skier, and the first biathlete, to win an FIS cross-country world cup race. Fellow teammate Lars Berger
Lars Berger
Lars Berger is a Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier. Fellow biathlete Tora Berger is his sister. Berger's family moved to Lesja, Oppland, in 1985. At the age of six, Berger started cross-country skiing, but during his teens he decided to try out the biathlon.Berger joined the national...

 is the only biathlete to win indiviual and relay medals in both biathlon and cross-country skiing World Championships (both of the relay medals were gold medals). Bjørndalen excels on hills, is very quick on the flat, and he's also good at downhill, because of his balance skills and technique. His ease on hills lies in his slight frame. Skiers such as Bjørndalen and Raphael Poiree who are smaller built tend to 'float', or glide over hills.

Bjørndalen's general tactic has been to skate as hard and as fast as possible from the start of the race, and build up a large lead, so that he is able to afford a miss in the shooting (a penalty lap takes roughly 23 seconds), and still be in the top. Although Bjørndalen has shown at the beginning of the 2006/07 season that he is taking the first lap slower in order to judge the pace of the race, and then steadily increase his pace.

Shooting

Bjørndalen is a solid shooter, but is generally outside the top twenty marksmen. Bjørndalen finished the 2005/06 season with a shooting percentage of 84%, hitting 292 out of 345 possible targets, that placed him in 36th position for shooting accuracy. His shooting record for both prone and standing were practically identical, 146/172 in the prone and 146/173 in the standing position. In the individual disciplines, he shot 92% in the individual, 89% in the sprint, 96% in the pursuit, 93% in the mass start and 96% in the relay.
In the 2004/05 season Bjørndalen was the 16th best shot with an 85% success rate, the second best Norwegian behind Egil Gjelland
Egil Gjelland
Egil Gjelland is a former Norwegian biathlete. He is olympic champion in the biathlon relay from the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City....

. He hit 331 targets out of a possible 364. His prone like most biathletes was much better than his standing shoot, he hit 169/180 (92%) in the prone and 163/184 (81%) in the standing. He had an average of 88% in the individual, sprint and relay, a 91% hit rate in the mass start but only 79% in the pursuit. During his career in 1999/00 he averaged 82%, in 2000/01 78%, 2001/02 74%, 2002/03 86% and in 2003/04 he hit 80% of the targets, however in those five years his standing shoot was the same or better than his prone shoot. In comparison his greatest rival Raphael Poiree averaged 87% in 2004/05 and 86% in 2005/06. Nikolay Kruglov was the best shot in 2004/05 with a 91% success rate, with Ricco Gross
Ricco Gross
Ricco Groß is a former German biathlete and multiple gold medal winner at the Winter Olympics and World Championships. He is married to Kathrin since 1994 and they have three sons: Marco , Simon , and Gabriel...

 in second with 89%, and in 2005 Julien Robert
Julien Robert
Julien Robert is a French biathlete.As a member of the French team, he won bronze at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin....

 was best with a 93% average and Gross again second with 91%.

Bjørndalen does have a shooting pattern. During the 2003/04 and 2004/05 season Bjørndalen took to firing an empty round for his first shot, so that he could get into a comfortable rhythm without missing the first target, though he appeared to have stopped doing this since in the 2005/06 season. Like most biathletes, Bjørndalen reaches for the barrel and swings it around to prepare to shoot, though this is not really possible when competing in biathlon in the summer as the rifles are different and less sturdy and pulling on the barrel might misalign the sights. Bjørndalen also shoots like most biathles from right to left because the rifle becomes more stable after every shot when the athletes are running out of breath (which they hold when shooting). However Bjørndalen has a tendency to shoot the first three targets from right to left, but then shoot the leftmost target and then the remaining target, second from the left.

Bjørndalen also started a trend of having a picture of an eye on the blinder.

Shooting statistics

Shooting 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09
Overall 85% 84% 84% 83% 85%
Prone Position 89% 84% 85% 84% 85%
Standing Position 81% 84% 84% 82% 86%

Equipment

Bjørndalen uses Madshus
Madshus
Madshus is an Norwegian ski and ski-equipment manufacturer, located at Biri in Gjøvik. The company produces cross-country skis and ski-boots.- History :...

 skis, boots, and poles.
He uses Rottefella
Rottefella
Rottefella is a Norwegian ski binding manufacturer.-Rottefella/Fischer Partnership:Taking effect beginning of the 2007-2008, Rottefella will be the official bindings of Fischer Skis boots. Presently, Fischer boots use the Salomon Nordic System Rottefella is a manufacturer of NNN bindings...

 NNN bindings
Ski binding
A ski binding is an attachment which anchors a ski boot to the ski. There are different types of bindings for different types of skiing.-Universal designs:...

.
His gloves and base layer are from Odlo, and he uses Casco
Casco
-Places:In the United States:*Casco, Maine, a town in Cumberland County, Maine*Casco Bay, a bay on the coast of Maine*Casco, Wisconsin, a village in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin*Casco , Wisconsin, a town in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin...

 glasses.

During the off-season in 2006 Bjørndalen was testing a new ski boot that had a high heel in the Torsby
Torsby
Torsby is a locality and the seat of Torsby Municipality in Värmland County, Sweden with 4,012 inhabitants in 2005.Fortum Ski Tunnel Torsby, the world's longest ski tunnel, is located in Torsby. Sebra Film is located in Torsby. Football manager Sven-Göran Eriksson and footballer Marcus Berg are...

 ski tunnel
Ski tunnel
Ski tunnels or indoor ski arenas make it possible to do cross-country skiing year-round. Except for the shape of the building they are similar to Indoor ski slopes...

 with boot maunfacturers Madshus. The theory is that it forces the knee more forward for better position and it incorporates the large gluteal muscles.

See also


External links

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