PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Elvira Öberg has been ill, and missed a couple of competitions in Ruhpolding most recently.
But on Thursday she got to the start in Antholz – and she did it with confidence, to say the least.
After a flawless shooting, the Swedish star took a fine third place in the sprint.
The last World Cup weekend before it’s time for the WC started with a sprint for the Swedish biathletes. The ladies were first out on Thursday, there Elvira Öberg finally made the start after being an uncertain card due to the illness she contracted which saw her miss two out of three races at Ruhpolding last time.
Elvira’s monster suite
A 7.5 kilometer sprint was therefore on the schedule, and Elvira Öberg started as number 15. Before that, she had to see Anna Magnusson shoot full in the first of two shooters. And at first it looked as if the disease had taken its toll on Elvira Öberg, who was already a full 11 seconds behind the leader at the first split, while her sister Hanna Öberg she too was a bit behind. Hanna, who unfortunately also missed a shot at the first shot.
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It went better for Elvira Öberg, who shot full, and now the sovereign has fired 55(!) straight shots in prone shooting without missing a single one of them. It is also the longest suite among all on the women’s side.
The standing shooting was a problem for many top riders this Thursday, with several throwing away their chances for possible top positions. Anna Magnusson missed a shot, but Hanna Öberg in turn shot full and was thus in the fight for the top positions.
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Beautiful form statement
Elvira Öberg entered the embankment for the second shoot soon after, and she too shot full in the standing and took a big lead going into the final lap. The management stood up when she finished, and the threat against Elvira Öberg was called Dorothea Wierer. The Italian also shot flawlessly, and after a nice ride on the last lap, she pushed Elvira down to second place with a margin of just over eight seconds.
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The second place seemed to hold for Elvira Öberg in the comeback since the Norwegian Marte Olsbu Röiseland finished a couple of seconds after the Swede. But the French Chloe Chevalier really roared and stood for a monster race when she took home her very first podium in her career and pushed Elvira Öberg down another place.
With a fine third place, however, Öberg can be happy about a well-executed race after the illness and a nice form report before the upcoming WC. And coaches Jean-Marc Chabloz was also satisfied with the effort.
– We were a little unsure of her form, she has only driven a few minutes at competition speed since she was ill. She’s doing really well, I’m super happy with her, says Jean-Marc Chabloz in SVT’s broadcast.
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