Johan-Olav Botn after a dream week in Östersund: “A bit of a new situation for me”

Norwegian biathlete Johan-Olav Botn (26) continued his standout form in Östersund, finishing on the podium once again with third place in Sunday’s pursuit. He had started first after winning Saturday’s sprint, but was overtaken late and settled for the final podium spot.

“It was a tough race with slow conditions, just like yesterday. It was a hard fight both on the course and on the range,” Botn told HBO Max’s reporter in Östersund. “It’s a bit of a new situation for me. I was a little disappointed when I crossed the finish line today, but I’m getting more and more satisfied as time goes by.”

The victory in the pursuit went to France’s experienced Quentin Fillon Maillet, with Sweden’s Sebastian Samuelsson outsprinting Botn to take second place.

The result capped a dream week for the Norwegian. Earlier in Östersund he earned his first career World Cup win in the individual (normal distance) and followed it with victory in the sprint, before adding the pursuit podium.

With a little under two months until the Milano–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Botn is firmly in the battle for a place on Norway’s Olympic team and currently leads the overall World Cup standings.