After dominating his sport for over two decades the Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar Bjørndalen has announced his retirement to day.
25 years as a top athlete, winning eight Olympic gold medals and 20 world titles in a historic career he announced his retirement today. “My motivation is unstoppable, you know that, and I feel that it (biathlon) is just as much fun today. I would have liked to have had another year, but this is my last season,” Bjørndalen told the media in a news conference. Bjørndalen struggled to hold back the tears.
Known in Norway, Germany, Sweden, France, Polen and other European countries as “the King of Biathlon”, Bjørndalen thanked his family and the Norwegian people and revealed that he had had several episodes of heart palpitations over the last year. “I responded well to treatment, but I was always trying to catch up,” he said.
Bjørndalen is married to Darya Domracheva, Olympic Gold medalist biathlon.
