THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE INTERNATIONAL BIATHLON ...

IBU EVENTS IBU VERANSTALTUNGENwas nice meeting him again.”The men’s competitions saw both the young athletes anda retiree in the field. Martin Fourcade won for the secondtime in his career, after taking the Pursuit in Kontiolahtijust four days earlier. The first clean-shooting day of hiscareer resulted in a Sprint victory for the younger of theFourcade brothers. He won in Oslo, two years after he finished61st in his World Cup debut there. He called his secondvictory, “incredible.”Two veterans, Maxim Tchoudov and Christoph Sumann34-year- old Christoph Sumann and Emil Hegle Svendsen.Just out of the top eight, in ninth place was 40-year-oldHalvard Hanevold, making the final Holmenkollen appearancein his illustrious career. He summed up the thoughtsof several of the athletes retiring this season. “It is nice toknow I still can compete at this level.”Change was in the air all week long in Oslo. An oldericonic stadium evolved into a new modern facility; at thesame time, as one generation of athletes said good-bye, anew generation stepped up to the podium. •followed him. Sumann’s third place put him in the YellowBib for the second time this season.On the next day, Fourcade won again, giving him threewins in a row, another spectacular accomplishment for the21-year-old. Almost incredulous at his accomplishment,he exclaimed, “Three in a row; never in my dreams had Iever thought I would do this. It is so fun and so nice; I enjoyedit-perfect!”However, chasing Fourcade all the way to the finish wasone of his contemporaries, Simon Schempp of Germany whois actually two months younger than Fourcade. The secondplace was the first podium appearance of his career.In the Men’s Mass Start, the younger men took a backseat to the more established older athletes, with IvanTcherezov taking the top spot followed by the youthfulSeit vielen Jahren ist Oslo Austragungsort im Biathlonweltcup.2009 sprang jedoch während der Umbauarbeitenam legendären Holmenkollen Skistadion Trondheim alsVeranstalter ein.Diesen März kehrten die Biathleten nun an einen neuen, nochnicht ganz fertigen Holmenkollen zurück. Obwohl sich sichtbarviel verändert hatte, galt dies nicht für die freundliche und lauteStadionatmosphäre. Die Menschen kamen in Strömen, umgroßartige Wettkämpfe zu sehen und sich von einigen Athleten,die ihre Karriere beenden, zu verabschieden. Gleichzeitig konntensie beobachten, wie eine neue Biathlongeneration ins Rampenlichtrückte.Aus verschiedenen Gründen istOslo praktisch für jeden einebeliebte Etappe im Weltcup.e.on Ruhrgas IBU World Cup Biathlon8Oslo Holmenkollen NOR16.03. – 21.03.201038 biathlonworld The official Magazine of the IBU 20 I 2010