Biathlon: Botn Edges Perrot for Olympic Gold

Norway's Botn takes gold in 20km Biathlon

Johan-Olav Botn wins men's 20km biathlon gold in emotional tribute to teammate Sivert Guttorm Bakken.

“My thoughts were pretty good the whole way through the race...”

Johan-Olav Botn of Norway took home the gold medal in the men's 20km individual biathlon at the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena, edging out Eric Perrot of France by 14.8 seconds. Botn's teammate, Sturla Holm Laegreid, secured the bronze medal, hitting 19 of his shots.

This victory was particularly emotional for the Norway team, as they were still grieving the loss of teammate Sivert Guttorm Bakken, who passed away in December. Botn dedicated his win to Bakken, shouting his name as he crossed the finish line. Laegreid, who won bronze, also had a emotional moment, revealing on live TV that he had cheated on his girlfriend and was seeking forgiveness.

Botn kept his cool on the range, hitting all 20 of his shots on his four stops before a controlled burst of power for the last lap saw him eclipse Perrot, who was left to rue his single costly miss.

“Yeah Sivert, we did it!” Botn exclaimed after crossing the line, dedicating the win to Bakken.

“My thoughts were pretty good the whole way through the race. I go out on the last lap and went through a real emotional rollercoaster. It was really special,” Botn told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

“When I crossed the finish line there and saw that there was a one next to my name, I ‌broke down a little.”

The biathlon event you're referring to sounds like the Individual competition, where athletes start at 30-second intervals and ski five laps, stopping four times to shoot at targets.

Here's how it works: competitors ski five four-km laps, stopping four times at the range to shoot from prone and standing positions. The winner is decided by the lowest overall time, but each miss on the range adds a one-minute penalty, which can significantly impact their standings.

“It takes a lot to be an Olympic champion, and big congratulations to Johan-Olav, who was phenomenal with ⁠his 20 for 20. These are magical moments,” Perrot told French ‌TV.

“I just need to put aside the big ambition that I've always had, but what a joy. These are childhood dreams.”

Johan-Olav Botn literally frothing at the mouth as he crossed the line to clinch gold...

It is so cold that it was starting to freeze over 🥶🤯 pic.twitter.com/rhvWaKHWmQ

— TNT Sports (@tntsports) February 10, 2026

Sturla Holm Laegreid capitalized on his shooting accuracy, hitting 19 of 20 targets to secure the bronze medal. He edged out Finland's Olli Hiidensalo, finishing 48.3 seconds behind gold medalist Johan-Olav Botn.