Ponsiluoma five – after the first zero

Norway’s Sturla Holm Lægreid came out first and managed to hold the lead all the way to goal, despite a barrier.

– I’m speechless, he tells SVT.

Sebastian Samuelsson came out fifth and was the one who seemed able to threaten the Norwegians beforehand. But the Swede fell behind immediately after two booms on the first horizontal shooter and fell from fifth to eighteenth place. In the end he was in 17th place.

Martin Ponsiluoma was the replacement. The 25-year-old was the same security at the shooting range and he managed without a single barrier.

– It’s so nice to get to the shooter. It felt good in the end. I’ve had a lot of head start, so it was nice to shoot in depth today, he tells SVT.

After the first two series of shots, it looked like it would be a new Norwegian triple, but Johannes Dale’s three booms in first position invited a tough fight for second and third place.

Ponsilouma tried to make amends with Frenchman Émilien Jacquelin, but did not succeed until the end and finished fifth. Jacquelin came in second and Johannes Thingnes Bø, Norway, came in third.

– I understood that I would go fast on the last slope and today I had no legs to keep up, says Ponsiluoma.

– I’m just as happy. Today was close, but there will be more possibilities.

The drop means Sebastian Samuelsson loses from second to fourth place in the overall World Cup, which is still led by Johannes Thingnes Bø.

Emil Forsberg / TT