Five-Time World Champion Johannes Thingnes Boe Announces Retirement

Norwegian biathlete Johannes Thingnes Boe, a five-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist, has announced his retirement from the sport, effective at the end of the current season.

Johannes Thingnes Boe, Norway's five-time world champion biathlete, has announced his decision to retire at the end of the current season. The 31-year-old, who dominated the biathlon events at the 2022 Winter Olympics, will not defend his titles at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games. Boe's impressive Olympic record includes four gold medals won at the Beijing Games, in addition to one gold medal from the 2018 Pyeongchang edition.

An emotional Boe revealed his reasons for retiring, citing the demands of combining elite sports with family life. “The past six seasons, I have combined elite sports with family life. It has been amazing but quite demanding,” he explained. Despite still enjoying competition, Boe acknowledged that the time spent competing is relatively short compared to the rest of the year. This realization has led him to prioritize his family, prompting his decision to retire.

Boe currently leads the 2024/25 season standings and will conclude his illustrious career with a final race on home soil in Holmenkollen, Oslo, in March. This farewell event will provide a fitting conclusion to Boe's remarkable career, allowing him to bid farewell to the sport he loves in front of his home crowd.