PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Norway completely dominates the men’s side in the Biathlon World Cup.
Which has caused Sweden’s national team manager Johannes Lukas to react.
Now the Norwegians are hitting back against the Swedish move to change the rules.
Biathlon World Cup 2024 has been a single big disappointment for Sweden’s national team. So far, they have only managed a bronze medal, while Norway has completely dominated the men’s side in the Czech Nove Mesto.
Sweden’s performance
In both the sprint and the pursuit start, there were all-Norwegian podiums and in Wednesday evening’s distance race, Norwegians came both first and second. But the German Benedikt Doll managed to break the Norwegian elimination by pinching a bronze medal.
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The WC king is once again Johannes Thingnes Bö who won two World Cup golds and two World Cup silvers in the four races he competed in. But the Norwegian dominance has clearly irritated Sweden’s national team manager John Lukewho now wants to change the rules.
– It’s not good for the sport, we all agree on that, Lukas told Expressen the other day when Norway fielded six riders in a race.
– I don’t think it will get better with six starting places in the WC. A basic quota of four, and maybe a fifth with the reigning champion would have been better. This means that the best riders have the greatest opportunity to win. But that is the decision of the International Biathlon Union, IBU. I don’t make the rules.
The Norwegian answer
Each nation can enter four riders, then you get an extra place for the reigning world champion in the distance and in addition top 15 riders in the World Cup get a free place. Now Norway is striking back against the Swedish approach.
– We are doing extremely well, but it is not our job to make it worse. Then Johannes Lukas and Sweden must step forward. We have two or three skaters at home who can do as well as us, and who had beaten the Swedes. Think how frustrating it is to be so good – and still not get to go, says Johannes Dale-Skjevdal to the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet.
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The Norwegian top skaters also send a clear pass to Sweden after the criticism against their dominance.
– I understand that the questions will come. On the men’s side, it’s been absolutely insane, but what are we going to do? It is up to them (Sweden) to get better. They could have had as many seats as we have now, if they had done as well as we did. We get those places for a reason, not because the IBU is trying to be nice to us. Sweden has as big a chance as us to get six skaters to the start, but they don’t care about taking it, says Dale-Skejvdal annoyed.
READ MORE: Björn Ferry’s drastic proposal – wants to act immediately after the big fiasco in the World Cup: “It’s a sickness”
Nor Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen understands the Swedish criticism after Norway’s great success in the Biathlon World Cup
– If we had had as few as the others at the start, we would still have wallpapered the podium. It is probably not the number of Norwegians that is the biggest problem. It’s probably rather the level we’re at, says the double bronze medalist to the Norwegian newspaper.
– I think it is a natural consequence of the results. But the fact that we would be too good, I see objectively only as positive. I think it is a direct consequence of there being less doping in sport. We’ve built the best training and recovery routines – and that’s why we’re the best.
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