In the desert heat of the Middle East the name Johannes Thingnes-Bø might not be as widely-known as it is in Scandinavia, where he is feted for his unmatched ability to ski and shoot with almost infallible precision.
A skier and marksman so accurate, the Norwegian is already the second most successful biathlete of all time, having won five Gold medals across the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics. Still only 31 years old, there’s still plenty of empty space left in his trophy room to fill.
In a ski lodge perched high in the mountains of Courchevel, the long-time Richard Mille ‘friend of the brand’ shares his take on training methods, competitive rivalries, and the mind set of an Olympic Gold medallist.
ESQUIRE: When did you start skiing?
JOHANNES THINGNES-BØ: I started skiing when I was three years old. That’s pretty standard for a Norwegian!
ESQ: You appear to have a natural ability for the sport—is that fair to say?
JTB: I think so. Even in training, I do things that other competitors don’t dare do. I’ve heard that they think it’s weird and unorthodox, but for me it works. That’s why I don’t know if I could ever be a coach, because the things I think are normal to do don’t work for anyone else. But, I suppose, that’s also why I am where I am.
ESQ: When you’re not training specifically for the biathlon, how and what do you train?
JTB: As an athlete, we do a lot of core training. Not so much heavy lifting because you don’t want to be weighed down, but a lot of running, hiking in the mountains in summer. But I’m always skiing, whether on a machine or in the slopes
ESQ: Do you visualise your races before they happen?
JTB: Always. You lay on your bed, close your eyes, and visualise every turn, every shot. At the Olympic Games in 2022, I had done so many of those races already in training. So when the actual competition began, it was all just reflexes and things I had seen in my head already.
ESQ: What goes through your head if/when you ever miss a shot?
JTB: A little bit of panic [laughs]! But you have to recover. It’s already missed, so there’s no point in focusing on that one. Focus on the next one.
ESQ: Has there ever been any bad blood or ‘psychological warfare’ between you and other athletes?
JTB: I had one rival, Martin Fourcade, from France who retired in 2020. We were very evenly matched, and we didn’t speak to each other. After the race we were friendly, shaking hands, but leading up to it we were at the point where we didn’t even look at each other.
ESQ: What is the absolute best part about what you do?
JTB: Standing on the mat, completely alone, right before the first shot when the stadium is completely quiet, and the whole audience can hear my every breath. And then you hit the targets, turn around and see 30,000 people cheering for you. That’s the best part.
Johannes Thingnes-Bø is a Richard Mille ‘Friend of the Brand’
