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Five Swedish biathlon women finished in the top five in one of two World Cup races last weekend. And when the season continued on Thursday, with a sprint at the Finnish Kontiolax, things didn’t get much worse.
Hanna Öberg (first) and Elvira Öberg (third) shared podiums. And now Sweden is one of the biggest favorites when the first women’s relay of the season is decided on Saturday.
The star and world leader Hanna Öberg is, of course, a fact in the team. But behind her, the competition is tougher than ever.
– There are many of us who want those places, says Elvira Öberg, who, however, should be able to count on being on the list of directors of the national team on Friday night.
She laughs:
– I’m not the one who brings the team out, and I’m almost a bit happy about that!
There were two booms on Thursday, but this weekend Johanna Skottheim started the season shooting squarely in doubles.
Photo: Markku Ulander / AFP
Little sister Öberg tricked Last season, Anna Magnusson on the 2018 Olympic Games and WC 2019 silver team, along with Linn Persson, Mona Brorsson and Hanna Öberg, was also able to start in the WC relay in Antholz last winter, where Sweden, without However, he had no medal.
This winter, Anna Magnusson dreams of getting her relief seat back. But at Kontiolax, the 25-year-old will likely apologize, and maybe even Persson or Brorsson.
Elvira Öberg was very fast on the track and was third and fourth individually. And furthermore, the upstart Johanna Skottheim, who undoubtedly had a heavier Thursday, with a full shot finished third and fourth, so did she.
– I hope I have shown enough my front feet and can go, says Öberg.
– I love relays so I hope to be part of the conversation in any case, says Skottheim.
What distance is best for you?
– I would probably say that the first leg, I really like this man-to-man, especially to be able to shoot people, says Johanna Skottheim.
– But everyone knows that there is incredible competition for places.
Last weekend Hanna and Elvira Öberg were the fastest of them all on the track in Sunday’s sprint.
Photo: Fredrik Sandberg / TT
That was in january this year Johanna Skottheim broke through “out of nowhere” with fourth place at the start of the hunt in Ruhpolding. She landed a spot on this winter’s World Cup team and is now in her first year as a skier for the A national team.
What has sparring in training meant to you?
– I think it’s the most important part, says Skottheim when explaining his elevator.
– I have made progress all year, thanks a lot to the fact that I have been able to train with this team.
– Previously I have trained a lot myself, although I have been in the U-national or in the future selection. It has never been at this level, having the absolute world elite with you at every pass. There are so many girls who are strong on this team, it makes you stand up and develop, because you want to close the gap with them up front.
The 26-year-old has not taken a completely straight path to the top.
– It was pretty rough. I’ve stayed put, Skottheim told DN last winter.
Now the start of the season has overcome your wildest fantasies.
– If someone had told me, even this summer, that I would achieve these results on the first competition weekend, I would never have thought about it. Always.
Read more:
Success for the Öberg sisters: first and third in Kontiolax
This is how the Swedes became the fastest on the biathlon track: “More professionals in all aspects”
Pushed by the relay team and all the World Cup races – this winter, Anna Magnusson pursues revenge
