The tendency was already noticeable during the men’s competition earlier in the day. The very icy tracks in French Le Grand-Bornand were unmanageable for all skiers, but seemed completely hopeless for anyone with a certain ski brand: Fischer.
In the women’s chase start, it became clear that it was more than a coincidence.
The trio of Anna Magnusson, Linn Persson and Denise Herrmann-Wick all ride on the same brand – the worst for the day – and were quickly overtaken by the riders behind.
One of them was Elvira Öberg.
The 23-year-old Swede had different skis, skied well and was also brilliant on the shooting range. After three straight zeroes, she came to the last standing shooting in sole lead, six seconds ahead of the home jump Julia Simon.
Once there, Öberg showed that she had control over her nerves. Five hits, while Simon missed two, meant that she could parade to the fifth individual World Cup victory of her career.
At the finish line, Elvira Öberg was 20 seconds ahead of the Italian Lisa Vittozzi, who also passed Julia Simon at the last shot. However, the French woman managed third place.