Samuelsson expects Bø’s support at the barricades: “Important”

Anyone who searched the French Martin Fourcade on the hit list on Saturday searched in vain.

The giant who has been the face of the biathlete for almost ten years has stopped and was missing from the world premiere of Kontiolax in Finland.

With Fourcade The experience of 18 gold championships disappears in the world cup circus. But also a strong voice that, in addition to the Swedish biathlon profile of Sebastian Samuelsson, has fought against doping and cheating year after year.

Many are the headlines in which Fourcade has stuck his chin, shaken and ripped off, not infrequently against criticized Russian colleagues. In the wake of the Russian doping scandal in 2016, the Frenchman threatened to boycott the competition, in 2017 he left the podium at the World Cup premiere in protest and as recently as last winter he joined forces with, among others, Samuelsson for the new world sprint champion Alexander Loginov, previously suspended for epo doping.

At the same time, on the Swedish sideSebastian Samuelsson’s fight against doping has brought him to the White House in Washington. The blue and yellow Olympic and World Cup medalist has been with the Wada anti-doping agency like a hedgehog, but has also had to deal with hatred, cyberbullying and even death threats.

– Even if you are not interested in fighting yourself, I think people appreciate someone doing it, Samuelsson told DN before the 2019 local WC and at the same time told about the support of only Fourcade:

– Last season we talked a lot about things like this.

What happens now When did Fourcade stop? Will Samuelsson be alone at the barricades?

– The biggest stars have more to say, says Samuelsson when DN meets him before the winter season.

– So Fourcade has been very important in that he has been the best and also so clear in his positions. I think it is important to have one in sports.

During the preseason he has an heir, however, has already raised his hand:

Norway’s great star Johannes Thingnes Bø, winner of the World Cup last year and his second debut at Kontiolax on Saturday, wants to take over.

– In a healthy high-level sport, you depend on the most important role models who come out with a strong voice. It is important for people taking a position, Bø said in an interview with Norway’s Dagbladet in September.

– It’s about trying to answer tough questions, and not stooping.

Sebastian Samuelsson, som Impressed as sixth despite two booms at Saturday’s remote premiere, he says he was satisfied with the statement.

– It seems that Johannes has felt that now he has to step forward and assume greater responsibility than before, for example on the issue of doping. It’s been clear in a completely different way, and I think that’s fantastically good, says Samuelsson.

Was he afraid of being left alone on the barricades?

– From time to time I have … maybe I have not felt alone, but you have been quite alone when taking the fight. It was me, Fourcade and a few others. But you’ve always felt support all the time. Not really, Samuelsson responds and refers, among other things, to the united criticism of the pilots of Loginov last winter, where Bø also concluded:

– These opinions that Johannes has now raised are opinions that you have heard him have before in a changing room. So I’m not surprised in any way, I’m just glad that more people are daring to fight in public.

Samuelsson laughs:

– Because I don’t think it will slow down if you talk a little about doping.

Just the balance between sports and headlines outside the field of competition is something Samuelsson himself has had to struggle with. At the beginning of his career, he read everything about himself, almost looking for newspaper articles, he had previously told DN. Since then, Sweden’s top male biathlete has gotten “smarter” and used to being stormy.

– Sometimes I think it’s a bit unfair, says the 23-year-old now.

– There is an image of elite athletes as people who can only have one thing in mind. But that is not the case. We also managed to have several things in mind at the same time.

Why have there been such strong voices against the injustices of sport in biathlon in particular?

– That is a good question. I think maybe it’s because biathlon has had some problems, especially in recent years with a lot of doping cases. As a result, many have become bored. And then there has been a backlash, Samuelsson says.

– It also seems that biathlon has changed a lot in recent years. We have gone from being perhaps the worst in the class to being one of the best. It feels positive and fun. But we must continue that development.

What happens then purely sporty after Fourcade? There are many other poster names, says Sebastian Samuelsson.

For his part, a season begins in which he wants to take revenge on himself.

Last year’s season went by slowly. There was only one individual location in the top ten, like ten, for the entire winter.

He took a step back, he says himself.

– I don’t think I have reached the level where I want to be. Sometimes it was difficult. Because I am still very young and I want to feel that development is going in the right direction.

Now the winter World Cup season started as sixth. Next is Sunday’s sprint in Finland.

– Now I charge to get back to a high level.

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