Fears as Norwegian Olympic athlete collapses at finish line
There were serious concerns for Norwegian athlete Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold after she collapsed at the finish line of Sunday’s biathlon 10km pursuit at the Winter Olympics.
The 25-year-old had seemed well-placed for a medal but struggled badly on the final lap, being seen doubling over on her skis heading towards the finish.
A host of rivals gained ground on her as the exhausted Tandrevold eventually crossed the line in 14th place before collapsing in a heap.
The Norwegian appeared to be motionless as she was attended to by concerned officials and fellow athletes, eventually being helped to her feet and away from the track.
According to Norwegian media, citing team manager Per Arne Botnan, Tandrevold is conscious although he could not offer any other initial details on her condition.
“I don't know anything more than that she is awake and being taken care of by the doctor inside the heating booth. That’s all I know,” Botnan said.
“It puts a damper on a gold and a bronze that we can't celebrate much yet until we know what it’s like with Ingrid.”
In further comments to NRK, team doctor Lars Kolsrud said that Tandrevold had been conscious throughout the situation.
“She tried everything she did to catch up with [silver medalist Elvira Oeberg] and simply ran out,” Kolsrud said.
Tandrevold has struggled with atrial fibrillation – an irregular heart beat – in the past, but team doctor Kolsrud indicated that was not a factor.
“We measured it a little bit and we were able to measure heart rate. She was conscious all the way,” he said.
The reaction online was one of serious concern as the disturbing scenes unfolded.
Poor Tandrevold, hope she is okay. It looked scary how she basically collapsed in the finish. #biathlon#Beijing2022
— Katka (@sackrebleu) February 13, 2022
💔 for Ingrid Tandrevold! Hope she is OK but for that to happen from Olympic bronze medal position is just so horrible. #biathlon#Beijing2022
— biathlon23 (@biathlon23) February 13, 2022
Oh no! Really scary episode here with Tandrevold. She barely finishes and just falls over at the line #Biathlon
— Penalty Loop (@penaltyloop) February 13, 2022
The race was won by Norway’s Marte Olsbu Roeiseland, who becomes a three-time gold medalist at the Beijing Games. Countrywoman Tiril Eckhoff claimed the bronze.
But the result was very much marred by the scenes with Tandrevold, which is alarmingly the second time in the space of three days that she has collapsed at the finish at the Games.
Tandrevold also required assistance after the 7.5 km sprint on Friday, where she finished fifth.
After that ordeal, the biathlete told the media that she “didn’t remember much” of the end of the race, as some experts cited the altitude of the Zhangjiakou National Biathlon Center as a factor.
“It’s one of those things you get at altitude when you get too little oxygen and maybe run out a little bit, then it’s hard to remember what you’ve done,” biathlon expert Liv Grete Skjelbreid had explained to Norwegian outlet NRK on that occasion.
