Biathlon: after the Lenzerheide sprint, Sebastian Samuelsson paid tribute to Johannes Thingnes Boe
Only twenty-fourth on Saturday in the sprint at the biathlon world championships in Lenzerheide ( Switzerland), Sebastian Samuelsson did not have the best of starts to this global event held in the canton of Grisons for almost two weeks.
The Swede twice missed the targets in his standing shot and will start this Sunday almost a minute behind third-placed Quentin Fillon-Maillet. Disappointed by his performance in the mixed zone, the 27-year-old biathlete nevertheless showed his class in front of the world’s microphones.
After arriving in front of the TV2 studio, the Scandinavian, rather than talking about his race, paid tribute to Johannes Thingnes Boe, the discipline’s new world champion. The young man also spoke about Boe’s retirement at the end of the winter.
“I was very surprisedSebastian Samuelsson on TV2
“I was very surprised. A Norwegian journalist called me, but I couldn’t answer.“Then I got a text saying: ‘Johannes is stopping his career’,” he tells the Norwegian cameras. He always said he would stop in 2026 after the Olympics, so I thought there was nothing new. But when I realised it was at the end of this season, I was surprised.
Aside from their rivalry on the track, Sebastian Samuelsson particularly enjoyed rubbing shoulders with one of the legends of his sport: “It’s certainly sad. He’s a very nice sportsman and someone with whom it’s always easy to talk on and off the track. He’s incredibly kind,” he admits.
For a long time, the world mass-start champion in 2023 was inspired by the man who will be aiming for all the medals at this edition of the Worlds. “In sporting terms too, he was always someone to watch. There was always the goal of beating him, but also of equalling him,” he says. It’s a shame he won’t be around next season.
However, the Swede has no intention of leaving the Norwegian alone in the final months of his career: “I’m not going to be particularly nice to him,” he says with a smile. In return, Johannes Thingnes Boe also has one of his most serious rivals.
“He’s a guy the Norwegian biathletes will have to contend with in the future”.Johannes Thingnes Boe on Sebastian Samuelsson for TV2
“He was a good rival and, at his best, he was fantastic. His best strength is from the last shot,” he analyses. Often, when he finds himself at that point, he’s really good and if he somehow manages to improve a bit in all areas, he’s a guy that Norwegian biathletes will have to contend with in the future.”
Read also
- “Everyone’s surprised”: Drôme’s Siegfried Mazet’s reaction to the announcement of Johannes Thingnes Boe’s retirement.
- The time has come for Johannes Thingnes Boe to retire: photo album of the Norwegian’s announcement press conference
- “I was lucky at the start of my career to race against a legend”: Eric Perrot pays tribute to Johannes Thingnes Boe a few days after announcing his retirement.
- Johannes Thingnes Boe to end his career at the end of the season
