On Wednesday, Sweden opened the Biathlon World Cup with a bronze in the mixed relay. In Friday’s sprint, hopes were high for the Swedish team. At the WC last year, there were double Swedish medals in the form of silver (Hanna Öberg) and bronze (Linn Persson).
When the sprint in Nove Mesto began, both Hanna and Elvira Öberg were in the fight for the medals. The two sisters shot full in the horizontal shooting and went strong in the track.
In the standing shooting it was more difficult. The two sisters started with three hits in a row and thus had a chance for a medal. But in the fourth shot there was a boom for both Hanna and Elvira. In Elvira Öberg’s case, the miss was preceded by a mess with the rifle.
– But I have put a lot of time into the dyke. That I do it lying down is perfectly fine, but standing I should go a little more. I should have retaken the fourth shot, which is a miss, says Hanna Öberg.
Throw away the medal chances
There, both Swedes’ chance for a medal disappeared.
– It was the strut that sagged a little. I didn’t have time to see if it was a click shot, says SVT’s expert Björn Ferry.
In the end, Hanna Öberg finished eighth, Elvira Öberg ninth.
– This is still a good starting position for the start of the hunt. It will get better and better for me the more races I get to do.
French Julia Simon won ahead of teammate Justine Braisaz-Bouchet. Third was Lou Jeanmonnot.
It was a mess for Elvira at the standing shooting. Where she also missed the fourth shot.
– I get started in a good way, the rifle clicks and then I have to tighten the spring and then you have to start once more. Then I get out of rhythm and then I miss, says Elvira to Expressen regarding the situation that threw her off balance.