Thingnes Bø had been prevented from taking part in the previous leg of the IBU World Cup in Östersund earlier this month as he was recovering from COVID-19.

But it is safe to assume that suffering from coronavirus has not had any long-term effects on the 29-year-old Thingnes Bø as he added victory today to his earlier wins at the famous Holmenkollen Ski Arena in the 10km sprint on Thursday (March 16) and the 12.5km pursuit yesterday.

Thingnes Bø is doing to biathlon’s record books what Haaland is doing to those in football.

This win was Thingnes Bø’s 19th of a remarkable season, including three gold medals at the IBU World Championships in Oberhof last month.

Fog again made things difficult for competitors in today’s race but it was clear to everyone that Thingnes Bø was a class apart, pulling away from the field before the standing stages to cross the line in the final race of the season in 38min 51.9sec.

He finished 26.2 seconds ahead of Switzerland’s Niklas Hartweg, with Norwegian team-mate Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen finishing third.

"Now I can celebrate and look back on the achievements this year, all the way from Kontiolahti to here in Oslo," five-time Olympic gold medallist Thingnes Bø said.

“It was just a fabulous run.

"Nineteen victories in a season is … pretty good.

“I could not have imagined all those victories.

"The season I have had is amazing.”

Thingnes Bø long ago ensured himself the Crystal Globe for the overall title for the third time in his career, having previously lifted it in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

He finished with 1,589 points, nearly 500 ahead of team-mate Sturla Holm Lægreid on 1,098, with Christiansen completing a Norwegian clean sweep.

Last year’s Crystal Globe winner, Quentin Fillon Maillet, could finish only eighth overall in a season that left France reflecting what needs to be done to regain former glories after a golden period which had seen them finish on top in eight of the 11 seasons before this when Martin Fourcade was at his peak.

Consolation for Les Bleus was that Julia Simon today officially confirmed her victory as winner of the women’s Crystal Globe for the overall winner, after finishing fifth in today’s 12.5km mass race won by Sweden’s world champion Hanna Öberg.

She is the first Frenchwoman since Sandrine Bailly in 2005 to lift the trophy, and only the fourth in history after Anne Briand in 1995 and Emmanuelle Claret in 1996.

Simon finished on 1,093 points, with Italian pair Dorothea Wierer, the 2019 and 2020 champion, and Lisa Vittozzi in second and third, respectively. 

"I am really proud of my season," the 26-year-old Simon, who had mathematically assured herself of the title when she finished fifth in the 7.5km sprint yesterday, said.

"I think this globe is the proof that I am a better biathlete this year."

Öberg led after the first prone stage, slipped to second in the next and from that point, controlled the competition, despite foggy conditions and her only penalty of the day in the last standing stage.

She finished 22.6 seconds ahead of Marte Olsbu Røiseland, Norway’s triple Beijing 2022 gold medallist and last year’s World Cup champion, in the last race of her career, after announcing she would be retiring.

France’s Anais Chevalier-Bouchet, also in her final World Cup competition, finished third, with three penalties, 43.7 seconds back.

"Last night, I decided that if I am going to quit, I am going to do it right, do my best," Røiseland said.

"My fitness was not as good [today] as it can be but I did my best and won second place."