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Hochfilzen can mean both a dream and a nightmare for Swedish biathlon masters.
In December 2018, Peppe Femling, Martin Ponsiluoma, Torstein Stenersen and Sebastian Samuelsson took the only Swedish relay victory after Sunday after Olympic gold in Pyeongchang the same year.
A year later, Sweden collapsed in the Austrian biathlon mecca, with three rounds of penalties for Peppe Femling already on the first shot.
Year 2020? Then it was a success again.
Femling, Jesper Nelin, Ponsiluoma and Samuelsson won the World Cup relay in the snowfall, after leading the entire race.
Peppe Femling started with full shot in horizontal shot and only two additional shots are needed in standing position. In the switch to Nelin, he was sixth, just eight seconds behind then-leading Norway.
– Last year was a nightmare experience, so it wasn’t just fun and relaxed starting today, Femling tells SVT.
– But it didn’t take that long, so it was good.
Even Nelin was clean in landscape but needed to load an additional portrait shot. Of his last shot, he was third, ten seconds behind Germany. By switching to Ponsiluoma, the distance had been reduced to two seconds.
– I just wanted to get as close as possible because I know “Ponsi” catches up easily, says Nelin.
Ponsiluoma did. And after fast driving (the Swede had the second best driving time on his route) and a super fast, fully flat shot, Sweden suddenly took the lead. On the standing shot, Ponsiluoma admitted he needed to make three extra shots, but was still able to send Samuelsson as second, just 0.4 seconds behind Norway.
– In the spare shots, he began to pinch his legs well. I got a little stressed, Ponsiluoma tells SVT.
If that was all Samuelsson that like last week, when Sweden finished second in Kontiolax, he sewed the sack.
So the 23-year-old Swede couldn’t do anything for the victorious Johannes Thingnes Bø. This time it was more exciting.
Samuelsson was flawless as he lay down as the Norwegian made an extra shot. For the last shot, they slipped together.
Sebastian Samuelsson got into trouble with the gun and needed to use two extra shots.
But Johannes Thingen’s Bø had it even harder, and fired a round.
Off the levee, Samuelsson had a 17-second lead over the Norwegian. The last lap seemed to be a thriller, but Samuelsson easily kept the Norwegian star behind him.
Therefore, he also kept a promise.
– “Sebbe” had promised before that if she went out with Johannes she would win, says Ponsiluoma.
In the end, the margin was 5.7 seconds. Germany finished third.
Read more:
Hanna Öberg’s giant climb at the start of the hunt: “I’m back”
She barely managed a training camp two years ago, now Elvira Öberg belongs to the world top
