The return journey of the Norwegian biathletes from the Italian camp took more than ten hours when one of the input bags could not find the necessary marking.
Norway’s national biathlon team caused chaos at Malpensa airport when it was returning home from a high-altitude camp in Italy. Juni Arnekleiv told about it last week at Beitostölen’s media conference for Dagbladet.
– The bag full of stakes was without proper markings. Everything stopped at the airport, and all of us with weapons were prevented from boarding the plane, Arnekleiv said.
Biathlon weapons and charge bags are always carefully marked before they are loaded onto airplanes. Sports expert Kaisa Mäkäräinen recently told Urheilustudio how to pack a gun for flights.
Belonging to the Norwegian challenger team Endre Strömsheim admitted that the men’s challenger team can take at least a little bit of the blame for what happened.
– Yes, we can take the blame for that, he laughed, but admitted that he didn’t laugh before.
– When the travel day is ten hours longer than planned, it can affect the mood a little.
Caroline Knotten also laughed at what happened when Dagbladet asked about what happened. However, he was not laughed at at the Milan airport either.
– It was hell. Unfortunately, I was also the oldest of the athletes, so I became the unofficial guide.
The coaches and other team members got on the plane, but the athletes’ journey was delayed by ten hours. The police asked the athletes to look for their bags on the strap, but they had disappeared. They were searched for several hours before they were found.
In the end, the women’s team had to change to another flight and even change the airport.
– I was tired and irritated, I felt responsible. It wasn’t nice at all, Knotten said.
Norwegian biathletes opened their competition season today with a speed competition in Sjusöen. The number one in the women’s race was Italy Lisa Vittozzi before Norway Ingrid Tandrevold and the Czech Republic Marketa Davidova. Knotten was seventh and Arnekleiv 15th in the race.
On the men’s side, Norway dominated the top fight. Johannes Thingnes Bö was again superior, clean shot Sturla Lägreid was another and Vebjörn Sörum third.