During Saturday’s relays, there were around 10,000 in the audience. A record number of redemptions during a World Cup competition in Östersund. Only the Biathlon World Cup has attracted more.
Want to see more with yellow clothes
Despite the attendance record, the vast majority of visitors were wearing clothes where it was difficult to see who they were actually cheering for. And this is something that Swedish biathlon’s biggest fan club, Biathlon Family Sweden, wants to change.
– Everyone doesn’t have to look like us, but next time we want everyone to at least wear a hat with a yellow tassel. At the very least, says one of the leading figures in the fan club, Kurt Jonsson from Umeå.
In addition to supporting the national team’s skaters at home, several of the fan club’s members go annually to the big competitions outside Europe, for example the classic Ruhpolding.
Many travelled
When SVT Jämtland goes around and talks to several of the yellow-clad fans in the fan club, it is striking how many come from outside, who do not live in Jämtland county, where biathlon has its epicenter in Sweden. This is something that Ann-Kristin Sundberg from Gävle has also noticed.
– I have roots in Östersund and have repeatedly come here for biathlon competitions since the end of the 90s. I really think that the Östersundari should get better at experiencing the atmosphere here at the biathlon stadium.
See more from the record crowd and biathlon party in Östersund in the clip above.