Tarjei Bø: The French-Norwegian rivalry
is good for the sport
The numbers speak for themselves. Out of the eighteen World Cup races since the start of the season, only two have escaped the French-Norwegian duo. Martin Fourcade (6) and Johannes Bø (8) have taken most of the wins—but Tarjei Bø also claimed one!
The Franco-Norwegian duel captivates the biathlon world. And the Olympics were no exception. All winter long, both sides tease each other through the media and on social networks. We interviewed Julbo athlete Tarjei Bø.
DO YOU THINK YOU’VE RETURNED TO YOUR BEST LEVEL SINCE 2011 (THE YEAR YOU WON THE OVERALL WORLD CUP)?
Tarjei Bø: It’s not my best level. In one race, I was at my peak—that was during the sprint in Östersund. Other than that, I haven’t been on the podium. I need to be more consistent.
YOU AND YOUR BROTHER JOHANNES SEEM TO ENJOY TEASING MARTIN FOURCADE ON SOCIAL MEDIA…
TB: I’ve known Martin since he was a junior! We get along and enjoy teasing each other. When he came to Oslo in June 2015, we even trained together a few times. It’s all good fun, and it’s important to enjoy yourself when we’re not racing.
AFTER RAPHAËL POIRÉE, YOU’RE NOW COACHED BY ANOTHER FRENCHMAN (SIEGFRIED MAZET) FOR SHOOTING. WHAT DOES THIS FRENCH TOUCH BRING TO THE NORWEGIAN TEAM?
TB: When I was a junior, Raphaël Poirée was part of the Norwegian team, but he wasn’t directly my coach. Still, I learned from him. In Norway, we’re good skiers, but we need to improve in shooting. In France, it’s the opposite. Norwegians learn shooting from the French, and the French improve their skiing thanks to us. Siegfried is an excellent coach who pushes us in shooting.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JOHANNES?
TB: I know that Simon (Fourcade) didn’t always enjoy Martin’s success. For me, that’s never been an issue. Simon is a huge talent and a hard worker who hasn’t always been rewarded. As for me, I was happy winning World Cups before Johannes arrived—and I was happy to see him win too. I’m satisfied with my own career.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE RIVALRY BETWEEN YOUR BROTHER AND MARTIN, WHO HAVE SHARED MOST WINS THIS YEAR?
TB: Martin is very consistent, and he’s shown that again this winter. He can win every week. We know we need to be at our very best to challenge him. Johannes seems to have found the keys to fight him at every stage. Johannes dominated early in the season, but things can shift quickly. I think this rivalry will continue for a long time—and that’s great for the sport! I loved watching Poirée vs. Bjørndalen when I was young—that’s what builds the history of our sport.
FRENCH–NORWEGIAN BANTER
Some tasty excerpts spotted on social networks
January 2014: Before the Sochi Games, Tarjei Bø shares an image of the Norwegians getting ready to put a pizza in the oven… Except instead of the Italian specialty, it’s Martin Fourcade’s head!
December 2: Beaten by 0.7’’ by Tarjei Bø during the Östersund Sprint, Martin Fourcade posts that same evening a video on Instagram showing a stopwatch stopping at 0.7’’. To which the Norwegian replies in the comments: “My name is Bond, James Bond. 007.”
December 2: A bit annoyed by his narrow defeat, Fourcade says at a press conference: “I hope they (the Bø brothers) won’t be busting my balls all year.”
January 6: While Svendsen declares on Norwegian TV: “He’s afraid of us. Lately, Fourcade’s shitting in his pants,” the latter responds in Oberhof. Before leaving the shooting range first in the pursuit race, Fourcade glares at his Scandinavian rivals. That evening, on Instagram, he posts a video of the race with the caption: “I respect, I fight, I suffer, I doubt, but I’m not afraid!”
January 6: Tarjei Bø gently mocks Martin Fourcade during the press conference in Oberhof. On Instagram, a short video shows the Frenchman answering journalists with the Norwegian’s caption: “Bla Bla bla.”
January 11: Winner of the individual race in Ruhpolding, Martin Fourcade secures the World Cup title for the discipline tied in points with Johannes Bø. The Catalan jokes: “I find it almost nice that we won it together. We’ll do shared custody. One week in Norway, one week in France…”
