Norway's Johan-Olav Botn recalls friend's death as he wins Olympic 20K biathlon

ANTERSELVA, Italy (AP) — Johan-Olav Botn of Norway shot perfectly in his Olympic debut to secure the gold medal in the men’s 20-kilometer individual biathlon at the Milan Cortina Winter Games on Tuesday.

Eric Perrot of France, the overall World Cup leader, missed one shot and finished 14.8 seconds behind to take silver. Botn's teammate, Sturla Holm Laegreid, was 48.3 seconds behind for third, also with one miss.

Norway’s seventh Olympic gold in the individual race was complemented by Laegreid's first individual Olympic medal.

Botn pointed to the sky as he crossed the finish line, remembering teammate Sivert Guttorm Bakken, who was found dead in his hotel room in Lavaze, Italy, in December. Botn said his thoughts went to his friend after his last shoot.

“It was quite an emotional last loop for me,” Botn said. “I felt like I was racing with him. I hope he was watching and I hope he is proud of what I was doing.”

Perrot, also racing in his first Olympics, said it was “a crazy day and a crazy fight."

“No regrets, I gave it my all,” Perrot said. "I’m proud about that. Johan was just better than me today so congratulations to him.”

Laegreid also wept after the race, saying he was struggling with a personal situation that made racing difficult. He led the race for a while but said he cracked under the pressure.

“In the shooting, when I missed I went a bit defensive to secure the gold, but in this sport you can’t be defensive, you have to attack all the time,” he said. “Luckily I managed to turn the tables on the last shoot, and with amazing skis from the team, and (my) good shape, I was able to win bronze.”

Under cloudy skies, each racer left the start gate at 30-second intervals, skied four-kilometer loops five times and alternated shooting twice each in the prone and standing positions. The individual is the most challenging biathlon race format. Instead of skiing a 150-meter penalty loop for each missed shot, one minute is added to their overall time. The Südtirol Arena sits at 5,200 feet (1,600 meters) above sea level, making skiing more challenging.

Tommaso Giacomel of Italy, ranked second in the world, was sixth, 2:27 back, after missing three targets. Defending Olympic individual champion Quentin Fillon Maillet of France missed four and finished eighth, 2:49 behind. Perrot and Fillon Maillet were partnered on the gold-medal winning mixed relay team on Sunday.

American biathlete Campbell Wright drew cheers as he passed in front of the packed stands, smiling widely and waving his arms to encourage support. But he said his body wasn't responding as he wanted, which set him back. He was 27th with two penalties.

“I'll try again in a few days," Wright said, referring to Friday's 10K sprint race. "Just because you have a bad day doesn't mean you need to be in a (bad) mood. So I was trying to enjoy myself. Legs didn't show up. Hopefully they'll return to me."

Johannes Thingnes Bø won four gold medals and one bronze four years ago at the Beijing Games, but Norway rebuilt the biathlon team after he retired last year.

“I’ve felt like we have done a good job,” Botn said, “but we can always perform better.”

Norwegian biathlon coach Siegfried Mazet said coming into the Milan Cortina Olympics without Bø was different but he was confident in their medal chances.

“We have a new routine with the new guys,” Mazet said. “For sure we would love to see Johannes here. It’s not that I’m missing Johannes for the race, it’s just that I’m missing Johannes as a person.”

The women race their individual event on Wednesday.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

ADDS NAME OF TEAMMATE - Sturla Holm Laegreid, of Norway, reacts after he won bronze as teammate Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold comforts him after the men's 20-kilometer individual biathlon race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Anterselva, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Eric Perrot, of France, reacts after finishing the men's 20-kilometer individual biathlon race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Anterselva, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Silver medalist Eric Perrot, of France, from left, gold medalist Johan-Olav Botn, of Norway, and bronze medalist Sturla Holm Laegreid, of Norway, pose after the men's 20-kilometer individual biathlon race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Anterselva, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Johan-Olav Botn, of Norway, reacts after competing in the men's 20-kilometer individual biathlon race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Anterselva, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Johan-Olav Botn, of Norway, reacts after finishing the men's 20-kilometer individual biathlon race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Anterselva, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

VIENNA (AP) — Bulgaria has won the 70th Eurovision song contest with singer Dara’s party anthem “Bangaranga.”

Dara beat 24 other competitors during Saturday’s grand final in Vienna. The song’s infectious beats and tightly choreographed dance routine was a hit with both viewers and national juries.

It’s Bulgaria’s first-ever Eurovision victory.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

VIENNA (AP) — The Eurovision Song Contest reached its sequin-drenched final on Saturday, with tight security and rainy weather failing to dent the enthusiasm of fans, or the opposition of critics who think Israel shouldn’t be invited to the party.

After a week’s buildup, acts from 25 countries took the stage at the Wiener Stadthalle arena in Vienna to battle for the continent’s pop crown. Millions of viewers around the world will cast judgment on a fiery Finnish violinist, a Moldovan folk rapper, a Serbian metal band and many more at Eurovision’s 70th anniversary event.

The performances are just half of the show. After all the contestants comes the process of casting, tallying and announcing the result of the votes.

The campy, colorful contest has been likened to the World Cup with songs instead of soccer. And like global sports, it often becomes entangled in politics. The contest has been clouded for a third year by calls for Israel to be excluded over its conflicts in Gaza and elsewhere, with five longtime participants — Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia — boycotting in protest.

The political tensions have clouded a contest that over the decades has given the world the perfect pop of ABBA’s “Waterloo” and the ageless “Nel blu, dipinto di blu” — better known as “Volare” — along with a host of Euro-pop party anthems.

The musicians had just 3 minutes to win over millions of viewers who, along with national juries of music professionals, pick the winner.

Jets of flame, glitter guns and wind machines worked overtime in a show that celebrated Europe’s eclectic musical tastes.

Serbian metal band Kravina offered hard rock angst, as did Romania’s Alexandra Căpitănescu with the provocatively titled “Choke Me.” Albania’s Alis used a brooding choral sound to pay tribute to mothers on “Nân.”

Cypriot contestant Antigoni had the crowd on its feet with dancefloor filer “Jalla,” as did Bulgaria’s Dara with the infectious “Bangaranga.” Silver painted and theatrical, Lithuania’s Lion Ceccah was both arty and soulful.

British act Look Mum No Computer’s jokey novelty song “Eins, Zwei, Drei” was followed by Monroe, a soaring soprano from France with “Regarde!”

Female solo artists dominated: an empowering power ballad from Germany’s Sarah Engels, gospel-tinged R&B from Poland’s Alicja, ethereal beauty from Ukraine’s Leléka, techno-pop from Sweden’s Felicia.

Male soloists were well represented too, by the likes of Aidan from Malta, Denmark’s Søren Torpegaard Lund, rock-edged singer Jonas Lovv from Norway, classic Italian crooner Sal Da Vinci and hometown hero Cosmo, representing Austria with a pleasing retro-techno sound.

Australian star Delta Goodrem showed what a diva should be like with her slick midtempo ballad “Eclipse” — and a bravura performance that sees her raised into the air above a glittery piano. A European country would likely host for Australia next year if she wins.

Israeli competitor Noam Bettan was loudly cheered, though there was a smattering of boos as he performed “Michelle,” a rock ballad in Hebrew, French and English. Earlier in the week, four people were ejected for trying to disrupt his semifinal performance.

Party rap with a political edge was in the house thanks to Moldova and Greece. Rapper Satoshi’s ebullient “Viva, Moldova” was a love letter to Europe from a country moving toward the European Union after decades in Moscow’s orbit. Greek artist Akylas’ song “Ferto,” or “Bring It,” provides a playful take on conspicuous consumption in a country still scarred by the economic wounds of the 2008 financial crisis.

Both are likely to score highly with viewers, though national juries, which tend to be more impressed by technical excellence, may be less impressed. Winners are chosen by a mix of votes from the two, translated into points by a system confusing even to Eurovision fans. The act with the most points wins, and their country gets to host the competition next year.

Finland is the favorite in betting odds with “Liekinheitin,” or “Flamethrower,” a fiery duet between the singing of pop star Pete Parkkonen and the fiddling of classical violinist Linda Lampenius.

But Eurovision often produces surprises.

“Eurovision has never really been a contest for big stars. It’s largely been a contest for underdogs,” said Eurovision historian Dean Vuletic. “People like to see the underdog on stage. They like to the artist-in-the-making on stage or an artist from a smaller, poorer country on stage.”

Viewers around the world can vote for their favorites during and for a short time after the performances, before the results are tallied. Viewers in participating countries can vote up to 10 times but aren’t allowed to vote for their own country’s act. Viewers in the U.S. and other nonparticipating countries can vote online at www.esc.vote.

Street protests opposing Israel’s inclusion over the conduct of its war against Hamas in Gaza have been smaller in Vienna than at the 2024 contest in Malmo, Sweden and last year’s event in Basel, Switzerland.

Hundreds marched near the contest arena before Saturday's final, some holding placards saying “Block Eurovision.” Pro-Palestinian groups also staged an outdoor concert on Friday under the banner “No stage for genocide.”

“Inviting Israel on such a beautiful stage as the Eurovision Song Contest stage is an affront to all the people who believe in humanity, who believe in love and togetherness,” said Congolese-Austrian artist Patrick Bongola, one of the organizers.

The five-nation boycott is a revenue and viewership blow to an event that organizers say was watched by 166 million people around the world last year.

Still, Eurovision is eyeing expansion, with a spinoff Eurovision Song Contest Asia due to take place in Bangkok in November.

Eurovision director Martin Green urged viewers to put politics aside and enjoy the “brilliant, wonderful, heartfelt show.”

Vuletic says political controversy is nothing new. The first Eurovision boycott was in 1969 — ironically, by Austria, which refused to send a delegation to Spain under dictator Francisco Franco.

“We’ve seen very politicized editions of the contest in the recent past,” Vuletic said. “All of them were very much mired in political controversy, yet Eurovision continues."

Associated Press writers Hilary Fox and Philipp Jenne in Vienna contributed to this report.

Dara from Bulgaria performs the song "Bangaranga" during the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen from Finland perform the song "Liekinheitin" during the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Delta Goodrem from Australia performs the song "Eclipse" during the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Noam Bettan from Israel performs the song "Michelle" during the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Delta Goodrem from Australia who will perform the song "Eclipse" walks onstage with her counties flag during the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Noam Bettan from Israel walks onto the stage carrying his countries flag ahead of the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Soren Torpegaard Lund from Denmark performs the song "For Vi Gar Hjem" during the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Demonstrators protest against Israel ahead of the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Spectators wait for the start of the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Delta Goodrem from Australia performs the song "Eclipse" during the dress rehearsal for the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Satoshi from Moldova performs the song "Viva, Moldova!" during the dress rehearsal for the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Akylas from Greece performs the song "Ferto" during the dress rehearsal for the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen from Finland perform the song "Liekinheitin" during the first semifinal of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Aliona Moon sings "Viva Moldova" during her featured performance with Satoshi from Moldova during the dress rehearsal for the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Friday, May 15, 2026. CORRECTS PERFORMERS NAME TO ALIONA MOON FROM SATOSHI. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)