It was the Swedes Jesper Nelin, Martin Ponsiluoma, Sebastian Samuelsson and Viktor Brandt who competed against each other in the sprint of ten kilometers and two shootings.
Sebastian Samuelsson fired hard in the sprint and ended up in second place at 7.5 kilometers but then slipped down and finished in fifth place.
– I shoot full in 49 seconds. It is extremely good. So I’m very happy with my performance but I’m also standing here disappointed that I’m only fifth.
For Martin Ponsiluoma, the competition started hard. The 28-year-old had two misses after the first shot. In the second shooting, he shot full, but it was not enough. It was a tenth place.
The competition’s other Swedes, Jesper Nelin and Viktor Brandt, were 23rd and 24th respectively. For Brandt, it was his WC debut – and he struck with a full shooting.
The competition in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic, was otherwise a Norwegian success story with three riders at the top: The winner Sturla Holm Lægreid who won ahead of second Johannes Thingnes Bø and third Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen.