Norwegian biathlete Sturla Legreid continues to make history in the sport. This time, he secured his fourth consecutive World Cup stage victory, leaving his rivals trailing in the pursuit race held in Otepää, Estonia. His result caused a sensation — Legreid broke the record for the time gap between first and second place, a record that had stood in the World Cup for a full 19 years.
This season has been a real moment of glory for the reigning holder of the Big Crystal Globe. The Norwegian has consistently made it onto the podium for the tenth time in a row. His winning streak began back at the 2026 Winter Olympics, where he brought home a whole collection of medals, including a bronze, a silver, and two team awards.
After that, Legreid took part in the World Cup stage in Kontiolahti, where he proved himself once again, winning silver in the individual race, as well as a double victory in the relay and mass start. In Otepää, he confirmed his skills, first winning the sprint and then demonstrating an incredible level of performance in the pursuit race.
The pursuit race provided further proof of the Norwegian’s unwavering professionalism. After the first two shooting stages, he remained in the leading group, which included Ukrainian biathlete Dmytro Pidruchnyi. However, at the third shooting stage, Legreid surged ahead thanks to flawless shooting, leaving his rivals behind. Although he made a single mistake at the final shooting range, this did not prevent him from winning the gold medal.
The race results were impressive: Legreid finished first, 2 minutes and 33.4 seconds ahead of the silver medallist, Emilien Jacquelin. He thus managed to surpass the legendary record set by Ole Einar Bjørndalen in 2006 — the margin at that time was 2 minutes and 8 seconds. It is worth noting that among the women, the largest margin currently belongs to Sweden’s Magdalena Forsberg (3 minutes 3 seconds), who set this record back in 2001, beating Ukraine’s Olena Zubrylova.
After his victory, Legreid shared his thoughts: he emphasised that the battle for every shot was difficult due to the gusts of wind. Despite this, the biathlete remained calm and focused, which helped him stick to his plan and achieve the necessary lead on the final lap. This significant lead allowed him to feel less pressure even after missing a single target.
From the athlete’s words, it is clear that he was delighted not only by the victory but also by the exciting contest with Jacquelin, which he described as a fun duel. Legrade also shared his thoughts on how important it was for him to break the record: the new time had, to some extent, become a symbol of his success and hard work.
Earlier, bobsledder Adam Edelman reported that the Israeli team had been robbed whilst preparing for the Olympics.
