Everything before the world cup premiere in biathlon in Östersund 2021

What?

World Cup premiere in biathlon.

Where?

Östersund, Sweden.

When?

The world elite competes for two weeks in Sweden’s biathlon mecca, starting on Saturday 27 November.

Premiere weekend

Saturday 27 November: Distance, ladies (11.45) & distance, men (15.00).
Sunday 28 November: Sprint, ladies (11.00) & sprint, men (13.45).
The biathletes then remain in Östersund for another week of competitions, 2–5 December.
The World Cup is broadcast on SVT.

Sweden’s squad

Only the squad for the first weekend is selected.
Ladies: Hanna Öberg, Elvira Öberg, Linn Persson, Stina Nilsson, Mona Brorsson, Anna Magnusson.
Men: Sebastian Samuelsson, Martin Ponsiluoma, Jesper Nelin, Peppe Femling, Malte Stefansson, Oskar Brandt.

Where is Johanna Skottheim?

Last year, she was successful in the premiere, then in Finland, with a third place in the initial distance race. This year get Johanna Skottheim see the season’s first competition from the side, when instead the former length star Stina Nilsson get the chance.
Sweden has six places on the women’s and men’s side. However, Skottheim is, as the only skier so far, selected for the second World Cup week in Östersund.

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“It’s something I have to take, it comes with the job I have chosen”

This weekend’s competitions will be Stina Nilssons third and fourth in the World Cup after the change of sport. And expect that the Olympic number one in the longitudinal sprint is likely to attract attention this year as well.

Number: 31

Sweden took so many podium places (World Cup and World Cup included) during a thunderstorm season last year. The record year began with a big slump already in the premiere. Will it be a replay?

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Will it be a “regular” season?

Compared to last year: yes. The audience is back and the World Cup competitions are once again spread out, unlike the corona season 2020–21 when the biathletes only competed in seven places (WC included).
But compared to last year: also no. An Olympics (in Beijing in February) awaits, which of course will be the highlight of the season.
Expect that some stars, both in the Swedish team and internationally, will be above competitions.

What are we talking about ahead of the season?

● Who can threaten Norway?
He came from nowhere and threatened himself Johannes Thingnes Bø about the World Cup title. Last year was Sturla Holm Lægreid – finally second behind Bø – the big surprise in the biathlon world. But there were more Norwegians in the top five in total, more specifically two more (Tarjei Bø four, Johannes Dale femma). Only Quentin Fillon Maillet (France, third) managed to establish himself among the Norwegian stars. Sebastian Samuelsson put career best as sixth.

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● Title chansen
Hanna Öberg were four in the overall world cup both in the spring and 2020. This winter, the Olympics are most important, and it is medals that will be counted, but there is certainly a chance of the first Swedish overall title since 2009 (Helena Ekholm). But then Öberg must upset it last year so superior Tiril Eckhoff (Norway), who won the World Cup before the compatriot Marte Olsbu Røiseland and German Franziska Preuss.
“Right now it is the Olympics that are the main focus, then you get to see how the country is afterwards. It is very difficult to know who will drive everything and so on “, says Öberg.

● The unknown Olympic courses
The pandemic has meant that no one has tested the Olympic courses in Beijing.
“I think it’s a little scary. That you have not been there, not seen the shooting range or the track. We have seen a video, but it does not give the same opinion “, says the Swedish veteran Mona Brorsson.

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● “The love drama”
The pre-season talk about the Swedish team has been about high-altitude training and energy balance. But also about it partnerkarusell which should have affected the mood among the Swedish stars. The sprint world champion Martin Ponsiluoma has become together with the teammate Jesper Nelins former girlfriend, the star Hanna Öberg. At the same time, Nelin is today together with Ponsiluoma’s ex.
Dizzy and gossiping? Perhaps. But:
– We were a close-knit national team before but that is not really the case now. I do not know if we will become friends again, Nelin said in October Aftonbladet.
Before the season, however, Ponsiluoma says:
“I think the atmosphere is good. We are still friends so it’s no problem. ”
Hanna Öberg:
“That has been going on for a long time.”

Insidertipset

Norwegian biathlon legend Ole Einar Bjørndalen is now the coach of China’s national team. Before the Olympics in Beijing, he has given his former national team colleague Tiril Eckhoff tips about the untried biathlon stadium.
“The wind basically comes from one direction,” says Bjørndalen VG.
“It’s left-to-right wind, so we’ve put a lot of time into practicing it,” says Eckhoff.

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Which ones are missing this winter?

● Arnd Peiffer, Germany. He was the best German in the World Cup last season (twelve) and has won both Olympic gold (sprint 2018) and five World Cup golds. But now the 34-year-old has ended his career after a total of 20 Olympic and World Cup medals.

● Simon Schempp, Germany. Has won a total of eleven Olympic and World Cup medals (of which four World Cup golds). But “I notice that my body can no longer handle the load as a professional athlete”, the 33-year-old, who has been injured, wrote on Instagram already in January.

● Ondrej Moravec, Czech Republic. The veteran made his debut in the World Cup in January 2003. 18 years later, it was good this spring, after two individual Olympic silver and two individual World Cup silver as top merits together with a World Cup gold in mixed relay 2015.

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