Norwegian Biathlon Legend Grabs Gold Medal Triple in PyeongChang
By Yoon Chul
Staff Reporter
Norwegian biathlon star Ole Einar Bjorndalen has now grabbed three gold medals at the International Biathlon Union (IBU) World Championships in PyeongChang.
Bjorndalen, who had already earned two gold medals in the men's sprint and pursuit last week, won a third medal for Norway, Monday, in the individual event with a time of 52 minutes and 28 seconds.
The 35-year-old Norwegian is a legend in the biathlon, winning world cup titles 76 times and producing five gold medals at the Olympics.
Many biathlon fans had witnessed his recent descent as he failed to grab gold at the championships in Ostersund, Sweden, last year, while fellow Norwegian Emil Hegle Svensen clinched the top podium in the 2008 event and at the World Cup.
However, the veteran athlete blew off any lingering doubts by grabbing the three gold medals.
In the competition, he showed powerful speed and even though he got a three-minute penalty as he missed three of 20 targets, he crossed the finish line first. Christoph Stephan of Germany ended the race second marking 52:42.1, while Jakov Fak finished third in 52:45.1.
In the pursuit event, Bjorndalen almost lost the chance of taking gold. Though he crossed the finish first, he had another penalty added as he left the course. But the Norwegian camp appealed to the IBU and had its claim accepted.
The championships will continue through Sunday.