The 2025 IBU Biathlon World Cup was a thriller all the way into the end of the last round, with the overall victory hanging in the balance until after the second-to-last race. Sturla Holm Lægreid dared to go all in, put all his eggs in one basket. And in the end, he delivered, winning the big globe by just over 100 points.
“It’s a dream come true. It’s insane to win the overall World Cup this way, shooting clean four times, and in front of my home crowd, family, and friends. This is a huge day for me,” says the 28-year-old from Bærum (NOR) after the pursuit race Saturday afternoon.
For five years, he’s dreamed of winning the World Cup overall title. And he managed to do it before Johannes Thingnes Bø retired.
“This is the most important achievement of all my performances. It’s a big goal to beat Johannes, who I think is the greatest athlete of all time. Those aren’t small words when I praise him,” says Lægreid.
He continues:
“But this season, I’ve really challenged him. I’ve shown that he can’t just skip races or get sick, because then he’s in trouble. Winning just before he retires means a lot to me. It’s still a long way to go before I have as many World Cup wins as ‘the GOAT,’ but this shows that what I’m doing is pretty good too.”
Were you worried you’d steal the spotlight from the Bø brothers' retirement celebration this weekend?
“No. I got what I wanted: This day was about me, and tomorrow we can celebrate the Bø brothers. I want to be part of that celebration. Tarjei and Johannes have been my biggest role models in recent years. I want to give them a great farewell, so now we can forget about me,” says Lægreid.
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Photo by: Nordic Focus
“I’ve been kind of a ‘psycho’”
Lægreid doesn’t hide the fact that it’s been tough, both physically and mentally, and he shares that he’s made extreme sacrifices:
He hasn’t hugged his girlfriend in almost two months, and at times, he even kicked her out of the house.
“I haven’t hugged my girlfriend since the Lavaze training camp before the World Championships. I didn’t dare hug her, and the last week, she hasn’t been allowed to stay in the apartment,” he says.
He hasn’t been to the grocery store in weeks, and he didn’t feel comfortable staying with the team before the World Cup in Holmenkollen.
“I would’ve liked to be with the team, but I didn’t dare stay at the hotel. I just went there for lunch and to get massages after the training sessions and races” Lægreid says.
He continues:
“I’ve been living alone, making my own food, not going to the grocery store since I came home, trying to do everything I can to avoid people and getting sick. Even yesterday, when I was signing autographs, I wore a face mask just in case someone in the crowd was coughing. It’s been old-school ‘psycho.’”
“Luckily, I’m someone who enjoys my own company. And that’s kind of how it is being a top athlete, especially at the end of the season. But after today, I can finally relax a bit.”
So, for now, that lifestyle is over. He’s finally been rewarded.
Photo by: Nordic Focus