KIRKEEIDE Maren

The best thing about the World Championships? There is always room for surprises! From winning gold to stepping on that podium for the first time these athletes left no one cold. But which one deserves the Surprise Athlete of the World Championships title?

Coming from the same region as the legendary Boe brothers, Maren Kirkeeide, still only 21, grabbed the attention after three podiums in Oberhof. With a calm nature, she often excels under pressure and finishes races strongly, relying on her accuracy in her standing shooting and endurance abilities in the final lap. No wonder legend Ole Einar Bjoerndalen has praised Maren's potential, hailing her as the new Norwegian biathlon star.