Bjorn Daehlie, you have company.
The great Norwegian cross-country skier’s record of 12 Winter Olympic medals has now been equaled by biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, who pulled even with Daehlie today by claiming the gold medal in the men’s 10km sprint.
Additionally, the 40-year-old Bjoerndalen has become the oldest Winter Olympic gold medalist in an individual event with the seventh gold of his brilliant career. The previous record holder was Canadian skeleton racer Duff Gibson, who was 39 years, 190 days old when he won at Torino in 2006.
Austria’s Dominik Landertinger took the silver, 1.3 seconds behind Bjoerndalen, while Jaroslav Soukup of the Czech Republic took the bronze at 5.7 seconds off the pace. Tim Burke led the Americans with a 19th place result.
MORE: NBCOlympics.com – Slideshow from Bjoerndalen’s record-matching victory
After making his Olympic debut in 1994, Bjoerndalen truly began his journey to becoming the “Biathlon King” with a sprint gold and relay silver at Nagano in 1998. Then came Salt Lake City in 2002, where he won four gold medals, becoming just the third Winter Olympian to win at least four golds in a single Olympics.
Torino saw him claim two silvers and a bronze, and he followed that with one silver and one gold four years ago in Vancouver. Now, with yet another gold in Sochi, he’s on the verge of becoming the most decorated Winter Olympian of all time.
MEN’S BIATHLON – 10KM SPRINT
1. Ole Einar Bjoerndalen (NOR), 24:33.5
2. Dominik Landertinger (AUT), 24:34.8
3. Jaroslav Soukup (CZE), 24:39.2
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19. Tim Burke (USA), 25:23.3
35. Lowell Bailey (USA), 26:04.1
61. Russell Currier (USA), 26:58.5
