Hochfilzen glacier, 2,400 metres above sea level. The Norwegian biathlon team begins its pre-season altitude block here. Johannes Thingnes Bø is with them. This is his first high-altitude camp since the lower-back injury that became public knowledge in May.
"The Back Is Holding"
On his Instagram: a clip from a morning roller-ski session — 18 km on mountain roads, then a stint on the shooting range. Caption: "Day 3 at altitude. The back is holding. Going full intensity." Fans exhaled — doubts about whether Bø would be ready for the season opener had gnawed all summer.
Team physician Kjell Eriksen gave a careful comment to VG: "Johannes is on an individual programme. We're not rushing. But the progress is good." That is probably the most optimistic thing anyone could have said.
Rivals Have Not Been Idle
While the Norwegian was recovering, the competition kept moving. Quentin Fillon Maillet (France) has announced a new coaching staff and is targeting a higher pace in pursuit races. Sebastian Samuelsson (Sweden), bronze medallist at the World Championships, has been working on his ski speed — the weak point of his last season.
In the women's field, Lisa Theresa Hauser-Johannesen — Johannes's wife — is planning to return from maternity leave. The Norwegian press is already calling it "the family comeback."
First World Cup Stop — Östersund
The IBU has published the provisional schedule: season opener in Östersund, Sweden, late November. Whether Bø starts the season is only formally uncertain. Judging by the glacier footage, he already knows the answer.
