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Of: TT
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Photo: Fredrik Sandberg / TT
Sisters Hanna Öberg and Elvira Öberg finish the super season at home. Stock Photography
Holmenkollen will not host the last Biathlon World Cup in mid-March. Instead, the Swedish stars will end the successful season at home in Östersund.
– We are very happy and proud to have this opportunity, says Sofia Domeij, president of the biathlon association, to TT.
The International Biathlon Federation, IBU, announced a few days ago that Holmenkollen can no longer host the last biathlon World Cup due to strict pandemic restrictions on travel to Norway.
Now the IBU announces that Östersund will take over the competitions.
– It went fast. Yesterday we did not receive any message that something was ready, says Sofia Domeij, president of the biathlon association.
– We have always said that we are ready. And he talked about how Östersund can manage this bubble during the current pandemic. It has been a job that has been developing throughout the season.
Lost competition
In autumn, Östersund lost its own World Cup competition because Sweden did not yet have an exception for the registration association for elite athletes and the IBU decided to reduce the number of organizers.
But now you have to host the competitions between March 18-21.
– It feels absolutely fantastic, it’s a lot of fun. And it’s great with the conditions in Östersund now. But we fully understand that it is a responsibility to handle this, we have thought about it at every step.
Super season ends
Sweden has had a super season so far this year. With Martin Ponsiluoma’s sensational World Cup gold in the sprint in Pokljuka, the team’s 22nd podium, the previous record 2000-2001 season was surpassed when Magdalena Forsberg dominated.
– It will be a fantastic ending for our successful biathletes to race the final and settle for the World Cup at home, says Domeij.
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