Before the final races: taunts against Wierer & Co.

It was a scene that will probably be seen in every season review: At the cross-country ski race in Lahti, the Russian Alexander Bolshunov has his Finnish competitor Joni Mäki physically attacked him after he cut him off on the home straight . This incident was now also the topic of the podcast “Kant ut”, which the two Norwegian biathlon stars Tiril Eckhoff and Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold regularly record together. The athletes were asked whether such conflicts also existed in biathlon. The answer from both of them: Not that extreme, but there is a certain rivalry.

Tandrevold remembered an incident that was said to have occurred in the pursuit of the women on the first Nove Mesto weekend. According to the Norwegian, she was deliberately hindered by an Azzurra. “On the first lap, the two Italians (Dorothea Wierer and Lisa Vittozzi, editor's note) ran side by side and one of them, I won't mention the name now, deliberately hindered me and every time I "I wanted to overtake, the path was closed - at least that's what I had the impression," said Tandrevold in the podcast, which was published by the Norwegian medium TV2 was picked up.

Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold, biathlon star from Norway. © AFP / MICHAL CIZEK

“I told myself not to let the nerves get to me. That's why I stayed quiet and in the group. I noticed that this behavior is generally widespread among women. Luckily the field dispersed a bit after the first shooting, but I had the feeling that there was a somewhat uneasy atmosphere,” said the 24-year-old. There was already something there Tandrevold and the Azzurre – there was something there! A year ago, Dorothea Wierer fought against Tiril Eckhoff in the very last competition for the overall World Cup. At the last shooting, the Norwegian's nerves were frayed, which is why Wierer - who already seemed beaten - went into the final lap ahead of Eckhoff, which would have meant that she would have defended her mini-lead at the top of the overall standings. Tandrevold is said to have used unpleasant means to help Eckhoff and slow down the South Tyrolean.

“She tried to cut me off . That wasn’t fair and I’m disappointed about it,” Wierer said at the time. Tandrevold countered: “There will always be close duels when you duel on the narrow trails, but we play fairly. Of course we tried to beat them. But it is far from the case that we intentionally hindered them.” Wierer ultimately won the overall World Cup. Things are often a bit bitchier with women Eckhoff and Tandrevold also admitted in their podcast that women are much more likely to have a catfight because of such scenes than men. “If the men do an overtaking maneuver or a clever attack, it is respected to the greatest extent – you have carried out a cool action. “It’s often a bit bitchier with the women and you sometimes get derogatory looks,” say the two star biathletes. It is unlikely that there will be any bitchy scenes at the World Cup final. Tiril Eckhoff is already confirmed as the overall winner.

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Before the final races: taunts against Wierer & Co.

The biathlon season comes to an end this week. Before the World Cup final in Östersund, a Norwegian athlete caused a stir with her statements.

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