Olympic champion, Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Laegreid was suspended from the mass start at the third stage of the World Cup-2023/24 because of an incident in a hotel, the press service of the International Biathlon Union (IBU) reports.
Laegreid fired a blank shot at the hotel during a practice run on December 15. No one was injured, and the cartridge hit the wall. It is noted that the athlete violated the IBU safety technique.
The sportsman has already offered his apologies for the accident:
I am deeply sorry for this incident, and strongly apologize to the whole biathlon family, my teammates, and the hotel owner for what happened. This is a brutal reminder for me and for all biathlon athletes - how important safety routines truly are.
Laegreid is an Olympic relay champion and five-time world champion.