– I waited for him (Läreid) and then I put in a sprint. I am so grateful that I get to experience this, said a really happy winner to SVT Sport.
And the Norwegian wants to thank a Swede for the success.
– I am very inspired by Nils van der Poel. I have tried to translate what he did on the ice to the track. It works for me, I love his training manifesto, says Strömsheim.
Dramatic decision
The contest looked to be decided on the fence when Strömsheim in the lead missed two shots. But when Johannes Thignes Bö missed with three misses, Strömsheim looked victorious.
Then Sturla Holm Läreid came in and shot full. Set up for the more experienced Läreid, many thought – but Strömsheim was ice cold on the final lap. The 26-year-old from Oslo released Lägreid with a grin on his face, only to pull away easily to victory a few kilometers later.
It was total Norwegian dominance when the competition was summed up. Norwegian in the first five places. But which of the Norwegians would win was decided in a drama.
– It’s absolutely insane, the level is sky high, says Strömsheim about the strength of the Norwegian team.
No blue-yellow success
None of the Swedes succeeded today. Three misses each by Martin Ponsiluoma (seventh) and Sebastian Samuelsson (ninth), while Jesper Nelin (tenth) passed with just one miss.
– I actually had a good feeling in the shooting today, but I feel tired in the track. I probably take the fatigue with me into the last shooting and lose focus, says Samuelsson to SVT Sport, about the last two barriers.