Tandrevold double collapse
Norway pulls the emergency brake on the biathlon star
02/14/2022, 09:45 am
After two dramatic collapses by biathlon star Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold at the Olympic Games, Norway is taking action and removing the 25-year-old from the team with immediate effect. The doctor of “Team Norge” speaks of an alternative decision.
After Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold had already collapsed after the biathlon sprint after crossing the finish line, the Norwegian collapsed on Sunday after the exhausting pursuit in the finish area. The dramatic images of the young athlete went around the world and now have far-reaching consequences. As the Norwegian team announced, the games for the 25-year-old have ended with immediate effect.
As difficult as the decision was for those responsible, there was no alternative. Team doctor Lars Kolsrud explained: “Ingrid has a history. We have [nach dem Sprint] said that she had completely exhausted herself. But if it happens twice in a row, we don’t want to take any chances. We’re going to take them home now and examine them closely.”
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According to Kolsrud, he is already in contact with the doctors who examined Tandrevold last year after something similar happened to the biathlete at the Oberhof World Cup. At that time, she was diagnosed with heart problems. “I had to make this decision and now pull the emergency brake. Sometimes you have to make a bad decision for the athlete to protect her,” the team doctor justified the decision to withdraw the 25-year-old from the Beijing Games.
Tandrevold expressed understanding for the doctors’ decision. She said on Monday: “I’m only 25 years old and I hope to have many good years ahead of me. But having had heart problems earlier in my career, we have to be careful.” On Sunday, the athlete looked very emotionally at her second collapse within a few days. “I was having one of my best days at work ever and suddenly it turned into one of the worst.” It would break her heart that she would not start again, she said.
Team colleague Tiril Eckhoff regretted Tandrevold’s departure and spoke of “very sad news” for the rest of the team. At the same time, the best friend also said: “I think it was a good decision by the doctors.” For the women there are two more competitions on the program at the games: the mass start and the relay. Actually, the three-time relay world champion Tandrevold was firmly planned in Norway’s team. Now she is being replaced by Karoline Knotten, who is contesting the final competition together with three-time Olympic champion Marte Olsbu Röiseland, Tiril Eckhoff and Ida Lien.