Tora Berger

Born on 18 March 1981 in Ringerike, Norway, Tora Berger is a former biathlete. She is the younger sister of biathlete and cross-country skier Lars Berger. Her first year in biathlon was 1991 and Berger became an official member of the Norwegian team in 1999. Her early career days are notable when she competed at the Junior/Youth World Championships for two years. In the 2000 Junior Championships in Hochfilzen, Berger won a bronze medal in the sprint. She was 13th in the Individual, 9th in the pursuit and 5th in the relay. Next year the Championships took place in Khanty-Mansiysk. Unfortunately, Berger didn't win anything. She positioned 21st in the Individual, 24th in the sprint, 38th in the pursuit and 5th in the relay. Since then Berger wasn't a part of the regular A team. Her first senior World Championships were the ones in 2005 in Hochfilzen. For this debut of hers among the biathlon elite, Berger didn't impress nor win any medals. She finished 21st in the Individual, 11th in the sprint, 19th in the pursuit, 13th in the mass start and 5th in the relay. In spite of her performance, Berger joined the Norwegian team and competed at her first ever Olympic Games in 2006 in Turin. She raced in all events and ended up 13th in the Individual, 23rd in the sprint, 18th in the pursuit, 25th in the mass start and 5th in the relay. After the Olympics when a lot of the Norwegian star biathletes like Linda Grubben and Liv Grete Skjelbreid terminated their careers, Tora Berger finally got the chance to prove herself as the ultimate leader of the women's team. At the 2006 World Championships, she win her first medal since she became a senior, a silver in the mixed relay. This accomplishment spoke greatly of Berger's class and potential because the medal came from the only race she took part in. The 2007-2008 season, Tora Berger exploded like no other. She made her first two individual World Cup victories. Berger won the 10 km pursuit in Kontiolahti and later during the season, the 7.5 km sprint in Oberhof. At the 2007 World Championships in Antholz-Anterselva, Berger won two bronze medals in the relay and mixed relay. In the other disciplines she placed 4th in the Individual, 10th in the sprint, 19th in the pursuit and 25th in the mass start. The season concluded at number 6 in the overall. In 2008-2009 Berger made another two wins on the World Cup tour. She won the sprint in Antholz-Anterselva and the mass start in Trondheim. At the 2008 World Championships in Östersund, Berger claimed the silver in the mass start. She made a sensational performance in all other disciplines as well, three times 4th in the Individual, sprint and pursuit. So close to winning a medal from these races too. And 6th with the relay. In the end of the season with 894 points, Berger finished 3rd in the overall. She was 3rd in the sprint and Individual overall and 2nd in the pursuit overall. From the beginning of season 2009-2010, Berger won the second race from the sport schedule - the sprint in Östersund. At the 2009 World Championships in Pyeongchang, she won a bronze medal in the 15 km Individual. She came 19th in the sprint, 9th in the pursuit, 15th in the mass start, 11th in the relay and 4th in the mixed relay. But the biggest success was still yet to come. Berger was an undoubted competitor at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. Those were the second Games in her career. On 18 February 2010, Tora Berger won the gold Olympic medal in the 15 km Individual event with 20 out of 20 clear shots and incredible skiing. In the other disciplines she came 33rd in the sprint, 5th in the pursuit, 18th in the mass start and 4th in the relay. The following season 2010-2011, Berger won 6 World Cup races - the Individual in Pokljuka, the sprint and pursuit in Ruhpolding, the sprint and mass start in Antholz-Anterselva and the pursuit in Presque Isle. On top of all that, Berger won a silver medal with the mixed relay at the 2010 World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk. During the next World Championships in 2011, held again in Khanty-Mansiysk were also quite successful. Berger won two medals - one gold in the mixed relay and one bronze in the mass start. She was 10th in the Individual, 7th in the sprint, 5th in the pursuit and with the relay. Once more Berger competed only in the event from which she won a medal. In the overall she was 4th with 963 points. During the 2011-2012 season, the unstoppable Tora Berger overpowered the competition and won two World Cup races - the pursuits in Östersund and Nove Mesto. The 2012 World Championships in Ruhpolding brought her three gold medals for the Individual, mass start and mixed relay. Berger also claimed the bronze in the relay. Once more she was 3rd in the overall with 1054 points. Finally the 2012-2013 season, Tora Berger definitely proved her leadership as a Top biathlete above all. She made a total of 11 victories. Berger won all three races from the tour in Östersund (the Individual, sprint and pursuit), as well as all the races in Holmenkollen (the sprint, pursuit and mass start), the pursuit in Antholz-Anterselva. And at the 2013 World Championships in Nove Mesto, Berger won 6 medals from all biathlon disciplines - 4 gold in the Individual, pursuit, relay and mixed relay; 2 silver in the sprint and mass start. Finally with 1234 points, Tora Berger concluded the season at number 1, holding the big crystal globe and the four small globes as the leader in all disciplines - the Individual, sprint, pursuit and mass start. The 2012-2013 season rewarded the remarkable Tora Berger with her first overall title and four discipline titles. The 2013-2014 season was the last in her outstanding career. Berger was most excited and focused for the Olympic Games in February in 2014. But before that, she achieved one World Cup victory. On 5 January 2014, Berger won 12.5 km mass start in Oberhof. So one month later, at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Berger won three medals - the gold with the mixed relay team, alongside Tiril Eckhoff, Ole Einar Bjørndalen and Emil Hegle Svendsen; the silver in the pursuit and bronze in the relay. She finished 16th in the Individual, 10th in the sprint and 14th in the mass start. The season concluded for her at number 2 in the overall. Until the very end, Berger was battling with Kaisa Mäkäräinen for the big crystal globe. Eventually she lost. Tora Berger retired from biathlon after the 2013-2014 season.