Biathlon Key Athletes

According to the NBC Olympics website, the top five countries with the most gold medals in alpine skiing are: Germany, Soviet Union, Norway, Russia, and East Germany. By today’s political standards, some of these countries are now the same. Here’s a list of each country’s main contenders for the gold this year:

Germany

Michael Greis
Andrea Henkel
Magdalena Neuner
Kati Wilhelm


Russia

Olga Medvedtseva
Svetlana Sleptsova
Ivan Tcherezov
Olga Zaitseva


Norway

Halvard Hanevold
Emil Hegle Svendsen

France

Vincent Defrasna
Simon Fourcade

Sweden

Carl Johan Bergman
Helena Jonsson
Anna Carin Olofsson-Zidek


Some athletes in particular catch the eye of the NBC Olympics website in their “What To Expect” article on the biathlon:

Michael Greis: Germany's Michael Greis is expected to do well again. Greis won three gold medals in Torino (15km mass start, 20km individual, 4x7.5km relay). He was a member of the bronze medal-winning relay team at the 2009 World Championships and could again win multiple individual medals in 2010.

Ole Einar Bjoerndalen: Nine-time Olympic medalist Ole Einar Bjoerndalen will look to add to his collection at age 36. Having won three individual gold medals (20km individual, 10km sprint, 12.5km pursuit) at the 2009 Worlds, he has demonstrated that he is still among the men to beat.

Kati Wilhelm: Veteran Kati Wilhelm the way for the Germans. She won two gold and two silver medals at the 2009 World Championships.