Tiril ECKHOFF

Born May 21 1990, Tiril Kampenhaug Eckoff is a Norwegian biathlete on the hunt to become the greatest of all time.

Though she may be some way off Sweden’s Magdalena Forsberg’s all-time record of 42 individual World Cup wins, she is edging ever close to her surpassing fellow countrywoman Tora Berger, to take her mantle as most successful Norwegian female biathlete.

“My goal is to beat Tora (Berger) and become the best biathlete ever,” Eckhoff made plain to Verdens Gang at the start of this year’s 2021/2022 season.

Based on last year’s performance, Eckhoff’s target is certainly not an unobtainable feat.

In 2020/2021 the 31-year-old secured 13 World Cup victories, four world championship titles and her first-ever crystal globe. It was a dream year for the athlete who first debuted on the circuit back in 2011.

As far as her ambitions go, Beijing 2022 was certainly a stride in the right direction for the biathlete from Bærum.

Eckhoff opened her Olympic campaign with a second career gold in the mixed relay alongside Johannes Thingnes Boe, Tarjei Boe and Marte Olsbu Roeiseland. The Norwegian quartet held off defending champions France to reclaim their title from Sochi 2014 in the sport's curtain raiser at the Games.

She then went on to claim silver in the women's 12.5km mass start and bronze in the women's 10km pursuit to complete her time in Beijing with three new Olympic medals. It now takes her total Olympic medal tally to 10, well beyond Berger's four.

In addition to her mixed relay gold from Sochi 2014, the Norwegian clinched bronze in the relay and mass start. Four years later at PyeongChang 2018 the biathlon star amassed two more Olympic medals: silver in the mixed relay and bronze in the mass start.

When she is not competing Eckoff, whose brother Stian Eckhoff is also a decorated biathlete and Olympian, counts podcasting and knitting amongst her hobbies.