Johan-Olav Botn
Norwegian biathlete (born 1999)
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Johan-Olav Smørdal Botn (born 18 June 1999) is a Norwegian biathlete from the village Stårheim, in Stad Municipality.[1] [2] He made his Biathlon World Cup debut in 2024.[3] He won gold in the men’s 20km individual biathlon at the 2026 Winter Olympics.[4]
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 18 June 1999 Stårheim, Norway | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 69 kg (152 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Biathlon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Professional information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Stårheim IL | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup debut | 5 January 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympic Games | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Medals | 2 (1 gold) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seasons | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Individual races | 28 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| All races | 34 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Individual victories | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| All victories | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Individual podiums | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| All podiums | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overall titles | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline titles | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| Updated on 22 March 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career
Botn made his international debut relatively late in November 2021, securing the 32nd position in the IBU Cup sprint in Idre. Following another appearance in January, he was subsequently excluded from the squad. During the winter of 2022–23, the Norwegian participated in the initial races in early December, achieving his first top-10 result with an 8th place in the individual competition. Due to Erlend Bjøntegaard's decision to waive his starting rights, Botn received the reserve starting position for the season finale in Canmore and secured podium finishes in both sprint races. His standout performance, however, occurred in the final race of the season, the pursuit competition, where he claimed his first IBU Cup victory with a lead of over a minute over Vebjørn Sørum. At the Norwegian Championships, Botn, alongside Håvard Bogetveit, Simon Kirkeeide, and Johannes Thingnes Bø, won the bronze medal in the relay event for Sogn og Fjordane. For the 2023–24 season, he was selected for the B-national team for the first time.[5][6] At the 2024 European Biathlon Championship, he won one gold and two silver medals.[7]
On 10 February 2026, Botn won the gold medal for men’s 20km individual biathlon at the 2026 Winter Olympics, finishing with a time of 51:31.5.[4] On February 17, he won a silver medal in the relay, together with Martin Uldal, Sturla Holm Lægreid, and Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen.[8]
Personal life
Botn is in a relationship with cross-country skier Karoline Simpson-Larsen.[9] He is the son of Olav Botn and Brit Mari Smørdal Botn.[1]
Biathlon results
All results are sourced from the International Biathlon Union.
Olympic Games
2 medals (1 gold, 1 silver)
| Event | Individual | Sprint | Pursuit | Mass start | Relay | Mixed relay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 2026 Milano Cortina |
Gold | 8 | 10 | 8 | Silver | — |
World Cup
Individual podiums
- 5 victories – (2 Ind, 1 Sp, 1 Pu, 1 MS)
- 8 podiums
| No. | Season | Date | Location | Discipline | Level | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023–24 | 9 March 2024 |  Soldier Hollow | 10 km Sprint | World Cup | 3rd |
| 2 | 2025–26 | 3 December 2025 |  Östersund | 20 km Individual | World Cup | 1st |
| 3 | 6 December 2025 | Östersund | 10 km Sprint | World Cup | 1st | |
| 4 | 7 December 2025 | Östersund | 12.5 km Pursuit | World Cup | 3rd | |
| 5 | 13 December 2025 |  Hochfilzen | 12.5 km Pursuit | World Cup | 3rd | |
| 6 | 20 December 2025 |  Annecy–Le Grand-Bornand | 12.5 km Pursuit | World Cup | 1st | |
| 7 | 10 February 2026 | Antholz-Anterselva | 20 km Individual | Olympic Games | 1st | |
| 8 | 22 March 2026 |  Oslo | 15 km Mass Start | World Cup | 1st | |
Team podiums
- 2 victories – (2 Relay)
- 4 podiums
| No. | Season | Date | Location | Discipline | Level | Place | Teammates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2025–26 | 30 November 2025 | Östersund |
Mixed Relay | World Cup | 3rd | Strømsheim, Botn, Knotten, Tandrevold |
| 2 | 14 December 2025 | Hochfilzen |
Relay | World Cup | 1st | Dale-Skjevdal, Botn, Lægreid, Christiansen | |
| 3 | 17 February 2026 | Antholz-Anterselva |
Relay | Olympic Games | 2nd | Uldal, Botn, Lægreid, Christiansen | |
| 4 | 7 March 2026 |  Lahti |
Relay | World Cup | 1st | Dale-Skjevdal, Botn, Lægreid, Christiansen | |
IBU Cup
| Season | Age | Overall | Individual | Super Sprint | Sprint | Pursuit | Mass start | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Races | Points | Position | Points | Position | Points | Position | Points | Position | Points | Position | Points | Position | ||
| 2021–22 | 22 | 3/22 | 11 | 143rd | 2 | 79th | – | – | 9 | 131st | – | – | – | – |
| 2022–23 | 23 | 7/22 | 355 | 14th | 34 | 26th | 28 | 19th | 163 | 17th | 90 | 13rd | 40 | 13rd |
| 2023–24 | 24 | 15/23 | 1135 | 2nd | 165 | 4th | n/h | n/h | 660 | 1st | 210 | 4th | 100 | 6th |
| 2024–25 | 25 | 18/24 | 1144 | 3rd | 180 | 3rd | n/h | n/h | 468 | 4th | 281 | 3rd | 215 | 1st |
Individual podiums
- 11 victories – (1 Ind, 5 Sp, 4 Pu, 1 MS)
- 26 podiums
| No. | Season | Date | Location | Level | Race | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2022–23 | 25 February 2023 |  Canmore | IBU Cup | Sprint | 3rd |
| 2 | 1 March 2023 | Canmore | IBU Cup | Sprint | 2nd | |
| 3 | 3 March 2023 | Canmore | IBU Cup | Pursuit | 1st | |
| 4 | 2023–24 | 30 November 2023 | Kontiolahti | IBU Cup | Individual | 1st |
| 5 | 2 December 2023 | Kontiolahti | IBU Cup | Sprint | 1st | |
| 6 | 8 December 2023 | Idre Fjäll | IBU Cup | Sprint | 1st | |
| 7 | 9 December 2023 | Idre Fjäll | IBU Cup | Sprint | 2nd | |
| 8 | 10 December 2023 | Idre Fjäll | IBU Cup | Pursuit | 1st | |
| 9 | 13 December 2023 | Sjusjøen | IBU Cup | Sprint | 2nd | |
| 10 | 15 December 2023 | Sjusjøen | IBU Cup | Pursuit | 1st | |
| 11 | 16 December 2023 | Sjusjøen | IBU Cup | Mass Start 60 | 3rd | |
| 12 | 10 January 2024 | Ridnaun-Val Ridanna | IBU Cup | Sprint | 1st | |
| 13 | 24 January 2024 |  Brezno-Osrblie | European Championships | Individual | 2nd | |
| 14 | 26 January 2024 | Brezno-Osrblie | European Championships | Sprint | 2nd | |
| 15 | 1 February 2024 |  Arber | IBU Cup | Sprint | 2nd | |
| 16 | 3 February 2024 | Arber | IBU Cup | Sprint | 1st | |
| 17 | 2024–25 | 30 November 2024 | Idre Fjäll | IBU Cup | Sprint | 2nd |
| 18 | 1 December 2024 | Idre Fjäll | IBU Cup | Pursuit | 2nd | |
| 19 | 4 December 2024 | Geilo | IBU Cup | Individual | 2nd | |
| 20 | 6 December 2024 | Geilo | IBU Cup | Sprint | 2nd | |
| 21 | 7 December 2024 | Geilo | IBU Cup | Pursuit | 2nd | |
| 22 | 19 December 2024 | Obertilliach | IBU Cup | Sprint | 2nd | |
| 23 | 21 December 2024 | Obertilliach | IBU Cup | Mass Start 60 | 1st | |
| 24 | 8 March 2025 |  Otepää | IBU Cup | Pursuit | 1st | |
| 25 | 9 March 2025 | Otepää | IBU Cup | Mass Start 60 | 2nd | |
| 26 | 14 March 2025 | Otepää | IBU Cup | Sprint | 1st |
