Biathlon superstar calls it a day: Olympic champion announces date of his retirement

Oslo (Norway) - No matter how many records he may or may not have broken by then, biathlon superstar Johannes Thingnes Bö (31) will definitely be finished in two years' time.

The five-time Olympic champion explained in the"Extrarunde" podcast that he will definitely be hanging up his skis and rifle after the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina.

"I will not continue. Whether I have five, six or seven bullets [for the overall World Cup, editor's note] or whether I have 85, 90 or 100 victories is no longer important. The date is fixed. Until then, I'll take everything that's possible," he explained.

The exceptional athlete from the Norwegian team made the decision some time ago, which has had a positive impact on his career. "I'm more relaxed than before and can enjoy the competitions. Traveling feels less stressful and is more fun," he explained.

One of the reasons why biathlon will definitely be over in 2026 is the fact that his son will be starting school. It will then be time to focus on other things. The sport not only means a lot of stress and hardship for him, but above all for his wife Hedda and his son (4) and daughter (1).

One major goal that Bö is determined to achieve is the World Cup win record of biathlon legend Ole Einar Björndalen (50).

The great dominator before the Bö era has stood at the top of the podium 108 times, his younger successor 102 times.

So only six victories are missing to set the record, seven to become the sole record holder. Bö should definitely achieve this in the upcoming season. He is once again the absolute top favorite going into the races.

In any case, the Norwegian is already highly decorated. He has collected a total of 38 medals at World Championships, secured nine medals at the Winter Olympics , won the overall World Cup five times and the discipline World Cup twelve times.

In the upcoming season, Bö can catapult himself into completely new spheres in terms of success.