Medals or Not, Great Milano Cortina Moments for Invenius, de Besche, Wright, Tandrevold
Most athletes in the Milano Cortina biathlon competitions never got a taste of a medal, but many had something to be happy about, whether it was Otto Invenius and Anne De Besche, thrilled with performances beyond their dreams or Campbell Wright and Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold with uplifting results. They proved medals are not everything at the Olympic Winter Games.
Invenius, “Happy to be here”
Finland’s Otto Invenius missed the first couple World Cups of the season, putting his chances of Milano Cortina in jeopardy, but he recovered, making the team. 11th in the 20 km Individual and 9th in the Olympic Mass Start, the second-best result of his career made the Games special. “I am just happy to be here; it has been a rough season. competing like this is crazy. Going on the loops with the top guys is something I didn’t believe could happen when I came here!”
de Besche, “I had no expectations”
Denmark’s Anne de Besche won an IBU YWCH Relay Gold medal in 2019, competing for Norway. After several years of less-than-expected results and various illnesses, she changed her sporting passport to her family’s heritage nation, Denmark, earning an Olympic berth. She found Olympic magic in the Women’s 7.5 km Sprint, missing a single shot, finishing an almost unbelievable 16th. “It is amazing. I never thought about finishing this high. This is my third race at the World Cup level; I did not have any expectations. I just wanted to get into the Pursuit. 16th is incredible; so happy that my best came out today!” That result was no fluke, she finished 20th in the Pursuit, with two penalties and qualified for the Mass Start, finishing 29th: quite a Games for the 25-year-old!
Wright, “Happy we were 5th”
The USA’s Campbell Wright did not have the individual results he hoped for, but his sterling anchor leg in the Men’s 4 X 7.5 Km Relay brought the Red, White and Blue 5th place, their best-ever Olympic Relay result. “As a men’s team, we struggled a little bit at these Olympics. I managed a few good results, but the other guys caught the worst end of bad luck. I really happy that we got 5th here as a team and everyone could kind of get a win here…We just got fifth at the Olympics!”
Tandrevold, “I am just grateful”
Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold struggled all season to gain traction but had little to hang her hat on coming into Milan/Cortina. The bubbly Norwegian never gave up, found her ski speed and solid shooting in the Women’s Sprint, finishing with a season-best 10th place. As Gold medalist Maren Kirkeeide crossed the finish line, Tandrevold rushed to congratulate her teammate. A few moments later, Tandrevold filled with emotion said, “I am proud of the work I’ve done…don’t know why I am crying…I am just grateful. I have no confidence and no belief in myself, but I have the most incredible team. They’ve given me the chance. Every day they try to make me laugh and have fun. They know I have been quite sad and out of myself. It’s been really tough. I was isolated in my room for two weeks in January, because I was sick, so I am so grateful that they believed in me and gave me the chance! It was such a great day for (Gold medalist) Maren and the team.”
The Milano Cortina Games proved once again, it is not always about medals; It is about people and what the Games mean to them.
Photos: IBU/Vianney Thibaut, Ola Wizor, Nordic Focus
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