When: Friday 10 February, at 2.30 pm.
Location: Oberhof, Germany.
TV/radio: SVT and P4 Radiosporten.
+ The Swedes: Elvira Öberg, Linn Persson, Anna Magnusson, Hanna Öberg, Mona Brorsson.
+ That’s how it happens
The riders start 30 seconds apart and then it’s all about being spot-free in the shooting and fast in the track. The sprint consists of two shooters, prone and standing, and each hurdle results in a penalty round of 150 meters.
The sprint is of course about WC medals – but also as a basis for the start of the chase where the top 60 riders settle for new medals.
+ Latest WC and Olympics
2022: Olympics in Beijing: 1) Marte Olsbu Røiseland, Norway, 2) Elvira Öberg, Sweden, 3) Dorothea Wierer, Italy. Other Swedish placements: 7) Anna Magnusson, 12) Linn Persson, 19) Hanna Öberg.
2021: WC in Pokljuka: 1) Tiril Eckhoff, Norway, 2) Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet, France 3) Hanna Sola, Belarus. Other Swedish placements: 10) Hanna Öberg, 16) Linn Persson, 22) Elvira Öberg, 58) Mona Brorsson.
+ The Swedish misses
Sebastian Samuelsson had loose screws in his rifle – and pushed Sweden away in the mixed relay. A day later, the next blow came for the biathlon national team: Mona Brorsson was kicked from the sprint – completely unnecessarily.
It is about a new rule, which means that Sweden gets additional starting places in the sprint Five on the women’s side and six for the men. After a couple of messy hours, it was finally possible to establish:
Mona Brorsson will compete on Friday.
+ Golden location for Öberg
She shot full in both lying and standing but was a long way from the Olympic gold in Beijing. Elvira Öberg was a full 30.9 seconds slower than the Norwegian Marte Olsbu Røiseland – but now the Swede gets a chance for revenge in the Oberhof WC. Over the distance, Öberg has achieved two podium finishes in the World Cup this winter: victory in Pokljuka and third in Antholz.
+ Main medal threats
Elvira Öberg is not the only skater who has collected two podium places in the World Cup over the distance: Dorothea Wierer, Italy, is probably the strongest medal threat with the third place in Pokljuka and the victory in Antholz.
Denise Herrmann-Wick, Germany, and Julia Simon, France, must not be forgotten.
In addition, the Olympic gold medalist and last year’s women’s giant, Marte Olsbu Røiseland, is back after several months away due to the disease shingles.
+ Lampic a joker
Slovenian Anamarija Lampic has done a “Stina Nilsson” and switched from cross-country skiing to biathlon for this season. She has surprised by already taking two fifth places in the World Cup in her first season as a biathlete, in Hochfilzen and in Antholz – both in sprints. Of course, she has usually been very fast on the skis, but had more difficulty on the shooting range.