Norway has named seven biathletes for the World Cup opener in Östersund, scheduled for the end of November. An additional 14 athletes are considered strong candidates.

The biathlon World Cup opener takes place in Östersund from November 29 to December 7. Norway can field up to six women and seven men. The Norwegian Biathlon Association has now selected seven athletes: four men and three women. Another 14 are seen as highly relevant.

Also Read – Biathlon World Cup: Calendar for the 2025/2026 winter season

Men’s team

Reigning World Cup overall winner Sturla Holm Lægreid has been selected, along with double World Champion Endre Strømsheim. Also joining are young talents Martin Uldal and Vebjørn Sørum, who earned elite team spots last spring.

Women’s team

From the women’s elite squad, Maren Kirkeeide and Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold are in. Karoline Knotten has also secured a place for the season opener. Despite being dropped from the national team in April—even though she finished top 15 overall in last season’s World Cup and was the second-best Norwegian—Knotten has built her own program and says she is well on track.

Read More: Knotten after being cut: Signals a reckoning with the national team

Selection criteria

The squad was chosen based on three main criteria from the Norwegian Biathlon Association:

a) Athletes ranked top 15 overall in the 2024/2025 World Cup
b) Athletes with an individual top-6 finish at the 2025 World Championships in Lenzerheide
c) Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold was selected for WC1 based on previous top results.

Confirmed squad

• Men: Sturla Holm Lægreid, Endre Strømsheim, Martin Uldal, Vebjørn Sørum
• Women: Maren Kirkeeide, Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold, Karoline Knotten

Three more spots remain for both men’s and women’s teams. These will be allocated after the national season opener in Geilo, from November 14 to 16. Among the top candidates mentioned are:

• Men: Johannes Dale-Skjevdal, Johan Olav Smørdal Botn, Isak Leknes Frey, Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen, Sverre Dahlen Aspenes, Sivert Guttorm Bakken
• Women: Ida Lien, Ragnhild Femsteinevik, Gro Randby, Karoline Erdal, Marthe Kråkstad Johansen, Juni Arnekleiv, Emilie Aagheim Kalkenberg, Marit Øygard

Also Read: Program for biathlon at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics

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