What a Weekend at the Races

January 25, 2022

What’s better than finishing the weekend with a podium? Finishing the weekend with two podiums - and sharing those podiums with a whole team.

That’s exactly what the Madshus racers did. Three times over on Sunday, as well as once on Saturday. Here’s what happened.

The IBU Biathlon World Cup weekend in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy, seemed to go like this: another day another podium.

At the men’s mass start on Saturday: Double podium!

First, Madshus racers dominate the IBU World Cup mass start: veteran Benedikt Doll (GER) wins the race in challenging conditions in Italy with Sturla Holm Lægreid (NOR) in third and Sivert Bakken (NOR) in fifth place.

Doll left no doubt about who was the king of the mass start: despite challenging conditions, the 31-year-old nailed every target except one. Heading out from the last stop at the range, Doll was seven seconds ahead. From there the seasoned veteran just increased the gap to where he could cruise to the stadium This was Doll’s third World Cup victory, but his first in the mass start.

Then, Anais Bescond caps off the day anchoring France to third place in the women’s relay in the same venue (at the last World Cup in over a month).

And on Sunday afternoon, 24-year-old Lægreid set Norway up to a handsome victory in the relay, while Roman Rees helped Germany to third place at the IBU World Cup in Anterselva, Italy.

At the same time, Norway won the bronze medal in the relay at the first-ever World Para Snow Sports Championships on home turf in Lillehammer. The 4-person relay team consisted of no less than four Madshus racers: Kjartan Haugen, Vilde Nilsen, Trygve Steinar Larsen and Thomas Oxaal. That was Nilsen’s fourth medal at the 12-day championships.

“It has been absolutely fantastic. To earn two gold medals and a silver in the individual competitions and then a bronze in the last competition, the mixed relay, that was huge. This is a dream come true for me, and I am really satisfied,” Vilde Nilsen, 21, says on the final day of the 2022 World Para Snow Sports Championships.

In short: Madshus racers seem to be on track with their mid-season peaking plans.