2021 IBU World Championships Mass Start Odds Predict Norwegian Victories

By: Eniko

Posted: February 17, 2021

Updated: February 17, 2021

2021 IBU Biathlon World Championships is held in Slovenia, 8-21 February
Mass start races are held on last day, 21st of February
Norwegian Bo is the favorite in the men’s and Tiril Eckhoff in the women’s event

Image source: Christian Bier, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

On the last day of the 2021 IBU Biathlon World Championships both men and women athletes will compete in the mass start events. Top Norwegian biathletes Johannes Thingnes Bo and Tiril Eckhoff are the favorites to win in the 2021 IBU World Championships Mass Start odds. Even though Bo’s performance hasn’t been perfect so far while Eckhoff can win her fourth gold medal. This year’s biathlon world championships has already got some surprises. Like having no Norwegian medal in the men’s sprint event in spite of their great performances in this season’s world cup. Swedish Martin Ponsiluoma won the gold ahead of two French athletes, Simon Desthieux and Emilien Jacquelin. Who also managed to win the pursuit last week, where Johannes Thingnes Bo won the bronze medal. We still have to wait to see if the Norwegian favorite can win from the other remaining individual events. Meanwhile, in the women’s race another Norwegian, Tiril Eckhoff has been dominating in the competition with her three gold medals.

2021 IBU World Championships Mass Start favor Bo to win

Before the world championships, Johannes Thingnes Bo was the main favorite in most events from sprint to mixed relay events. Well, the 11-time world champion has won the latter in Pokljuka as well. But he only finished fifth in the sprint event. Bo got the bronze in the pursuit too so his performance is not bad at all. His current form and previous results make him the biggest favorite in the last event, the men’s 15km mass start race. In this discipline, the Norwegian athlete has already won two gold in the previous world championships. Now he has the odds of 2.50 to win it again. His biggest rival can be Emilien Jacquelin who has the odds of 3.74 in the 2021 IBU World Championships Mass Start odds. The French have also won a bronze and a gold medal in Slovenia so far. Both in individual events. Jacquelin hasn’t been that strong in mass start this season but he can still perform well on Sunday. Especially after getting the bronze in this discipline in the last world championships in Antholz. Interestingly online sportsbooks in Slovenia only offer the odds of 18.00 for the World Cup leader Tarjei Boe’s victory. Even though the older brother of Johannes has won the mass start in the 2013 World Championship.

Tighter race is expected in the women’s event

Another great Norwegian athlete, Marte Olsbu Roiseland is the defending champion in the women’s 12,5km mass start and one of the top favorites again. She has the odds of 7.00 to defend her title. Though it won’t be an easy task. As her compatriot, Tiril Eckhoff seems undefeatable so far after winning both the sprint and pursuit events. She is behind Roiseland in the mass start world cup this season where Julia Simon is leading at the moment. But the young French athlete only has the odds of 12.00 to win her first medal. Online gambling sites in Slovenia mention though Swedish Hanna Oeberg in the top favorites with the odds of 5.00. The bronze medalist from the previous world championships had better results in the sprint this season. But she only finished in 10th place last week. Now she has the chance to get a better result in mass start. Where she is currently in 3rd place in the World Cup. Italian Dorothea Wierer won a gold and a silver in the previous two world championships in this event but doesn’t seem to be in top form this time. Still the experienced athlete can also get another great result with the odds of 7.90 on 22Bet to actually win the race.