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Last weekend, the Swedish biathlon ladies scored their first relay win in ten years.
The season opener at Kontiolax offered an incredible ten spots on the Swedish podium in five days of competition, but when the World Cup continued with a sprint at the Austrian Hochfilzen on Friday, the Swedes had a heavier day.
The question was whether they would retaliate in Saturday’s relay.
When star Hanna Öberg took a round of penalties in the third leg, it hardly looked like that. But Elvira Öberg saved the day.
– Beating Denise Herrmann (Germany, four) in a sprint is sheer madness, Hanna Öberg tells SVT about her little sister after a Swedish third place.
– I’m so glad that Elvira did this monster stretch. She is so sick and so cold in these situations.
The day started otherwise, with Johanna Skottheim from the first leg, proving once again that she is one of Sweden’s best shooters. The surprise that is fifth overall in the World Cup shot squarely both standing and lying down, and after his last shot he stood out as third near Norway and Germany. In the trade to Linn Persson, who removed Mona Brorsson from the team, she was second.
Persson fired full on his first shot. On the other hand, he became more nervous.
The Swede needed to use the three extra shots but managed, unlike Norway and Germany, without a penalty round, and a moment later she was able to send Hanna Öberg off as number two, second behind then-leading Czech Republic.
– When I had three booms in the original series, I felt that “now I have to sharpen”. I am so happy I did it, Persson tells SVT.
Öberg, World Cup leader It is used to terminate relays. Now he had to fight in the third stage, and then he swayed on the embankment.
Hanna Öberg started with barriers and needed two more shots while lying down.
In qualifying, therefore, both the victory and the possibility of a podium seemed to disappear for Sweden.
After a round of penalties, the 25-year-old traded her little sister Elvira Öberg as sixth, one minute and five seconds from the lead and almost 40 seconds from the podium.
– I do not know what happened. It was a bender and I couldn’t sit still. Very sad, Hanna Öberg tells SVT.
Elvira Öberg in goal.
Photo: Joe Klamar / AFP
The end, however, was More exciting than expected, when the 21-year-old, fourth overall in the World Cup who had never covered a final distance before, went on the hunt for the leading competitors with full shots across the landscape.
Before the last shot, Elvira Öberg was just 15 seconds from the podium. And with just one extra shot there, she suddenly regained third place with Germany and Italy, behind victorious Norway and runner-up France.
On the last lap, Öberg was very strong. And in the race she ran to third place, half a second ahead of German Denise Herrmann and five seconds ahead of Italian Federica Sanfilippo.
– When Herrmann didn’t go over the last hill, I thought “this is what I take.” He just ran everything at the end, and it went well, says Elvira Öberg to SVT.
Johanna Skottheim:
– I think there are many who are terrified of Elvira in one last lap.
Read more:
She barely managed a training camp two years ago, now Elvira Öberg belongs to the world top
Podiums and money rain for surprised Skottheim: “A whole new level”
