Elvira Öberg enters the WC as one of the big favorites for gold.
Now the Swedish superstar opens up about the strong feelings.
– It means a lot to me, she says in an interview with DN.
2022 was Elvira Öberg’s major international breakthroughs with a total of three Olympic medals in Beijing. But 2023 will be even better for the 23-year-old, who now enters the Biathlon World Cup as one of the big favorites for gold.
Öberg WC favourite
Little sister Öberg has stepped past big sister Hanna Öberg in the very top world elite and lined up podium places during the season so far. The Swedes are currently second in the overall World Cup and will now chase the very first WC medals of their career.
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Self-confidence is also high ahead of the Biathlon World Cup in Oberhof, Germany.
– It’s clear that I don’t want to go through my career without WC medals, that’s the way it is. But I feel that I have a good chance of not coming home empty-handed. I simply have good chances to medal in all races. If I leave here empty-handed, I have underperformed, says Elvira in an interview with DN.
READ MORE: Petter Northug’s mocking words to Sebastian Samuelsson – now saw the Swede ahead of the World Cup: “Very surprised”
“Has an upper hand”
What has been most impressive about Elvira Öberg this season is her fantastic shooting. This season, she has managed to raise the scoring rate to a fine 91%, compared to 84% last season.
– I feel even more stable than I did last year and have found a completely different security in shooting. This means that I can do good races any day, she tells the daily.
– It means a lot to me. In the last two years, I have been at the top of my game all the time, but my shooting has been much weaker. I’ve seen myself more as a strong skater than a strong shooter, but now I’ve kind of found a slightly different approach to it all.
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Then only the big question remains whether the 23-year-old will be affected by the favoritism and all the pressure that comes with it.
– So far it has gone very well, I feel very confident in the decisive situations and know that I have an advantage there over many competitors. I think a lot is based on the fact that I know I’m very good at a sprint lap as well; I know that my competitors have to do better than me to beat me, says Öberg in the interview.
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READ MORE: The super icon Ole Einar Björndalen’s great tribute to Elvira Öberg – powerful verdict on the Swede before the World Cup