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Tarjei Bø had the best starting point in the hunt after Thursday’s long-awaited sprint victory, but with three booms in first position and two booms in the last stand, the podium also slipped.
Instead, there was a victory match between little brother Johannes Thingnes Bø and Sebastian Samuelsson, and when the Norwegian twice missed the Swedes’ barrier in difficult conditions on the last trip to the stands, 23-year-old Samuelsson managed his first victory in the World Cup.
On the track, Thingnes Bø was also overtaken by Frenchman Fabien Claude, thus becoming third place.
-I don’t think the result is so sick today, because I don’t feel present either mentally or physically. It scares me more. Today I have a chance to win the race and get a podium place with me, even though I’m not where I should be, he tells NRK.
HEAVY CONDITIONS: There were changing wind conditions at the booth during the start of the hunt. It created a lot of excitement in last position.
Lose to teammates
Because usually it is the 27-year-old who beats everyone in cross-country skiing. At the start of the hunt, he had the second best time in cross country, but was almost crushed by his older brother. Tarjei Bø was 26.7 seconds faster. Johannes Dale had the third fastest time on the track, just seven seconds behind Thingnes Bø and Erlend Bjøntegaard followed, less than 10 seconds behind.
– I feel like a tough guy on skis. I’m not doing well on skis and there is no rhythm or physicality in what I do. I lose in all the games I am usually good at, on balls and slopes, and until the end. I have lost the drive I had to normal and lose a lot of energy, explains Thingnes Bø.
– It follows me to the shoot and is heavier for the head to focus. It has a great connection, and quite the opposite that has made me have a great success, because when I get tired on the track it is worse to do well in the stands, he adds, after what was a total of three boomers.
FOUR OF FOUR: Johannes Thingnes Bø (right) has been on the podium in every race so far this season. On Saturday he was beaten by Sebastian Samuelsson (center) and Fabien Claude.
Photo: Antti Aimo-Koivisto / AP
I slept badly
He doesn’t really know what it is that makes the formula for success not work as usual in Kontiolahti.
– I slept a little badly, and it is atypical of me, so it is something that I control. I have to find peace, train myself and make it change.
Sunday is the relay, before the biathletes move on to the double World Cup weekend in Hochfilzen.
HOPE FOR IMPROVEMENT: Johannes Thingnes Bø led until the last shootout.
Photo: ANTTI AIMO-KOIVISTO / AFP
– It’s a long season and I have to find out before next time. It spins very fast. I did my best sprint last weekend and I thought it would be the opposite. That what I felt now should be last weekend, and not now. I started with four of the four podiums, and that’s good, but I’m a perfectionist, he says.
All the top 12
It is not the first time this season that you have seen your teammates approach Thingnes Bø on the track.
– I choose to believe that Johannes has not been worse, but that the others have improved a little. We have also seen some training this fall. So there are more who have come up, and we are happy with that, says coach Egil Kristiansen.
– I think we have all trained very well and we are a little more united than last year, including myself. But I don’t think we should conclude yet. John can get in shape. I remember a year ago he wasn’t at his best the first weekend, but then it came like a rocket in December, says older brother Bø.
Sturla Holm Lægreid was number four, Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen was number seven, Johannes Dale was in ninth place, Erlend Bjøntegaard was eleventh and Tarjei Bø was number 12.
