World Cup leader Røiseland had a good starting point after the sprint victory on Thursday, and went out with a 15 second lead. But she lost the lead with two booms on the third shot, and Swedish Elvira Öberg was able to take the first World Cup winner of her career, ahead of French Julia Simon.
Behind came Røiseland and Hanna Öberg in the battle for third place, just as they did at the relay in Östersund. Then became the Norwegian fourth place.
And the Swede lurked past before the last hill, and then also secured third place.
– She took Marte a little on the bed there, commented Andreas Stabrun Smith.
NRK’s expert Synnøve Solemdal points out that it is on the third shot that the victory fails, but believes the 31-year-old should consider changing tactics against Öberg.
– It was a very exciting final round. She walks all she can, and Hanna has a strategy of hanging on until the very end. She has probably worked extra well over the last ball and slips past Marte, says Solemdal in NRK’s Winter Studio.
– She must consider doing a little more like Hanna, because she has done the same thing twice now. In the next duel I would try something else, she adds.
GOAL PHOTO: There was an intense sprint settlement between Røiseland and Öberg for third place in Östersund two weeks ago.
Photo: Fredrik Sandberg / TT / NTB
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Öberg surprised
Røiseland is responsible for the tactics she chose.
– We went out a lot, and I know that my strength is a good final round, so I just tried to go a good last round and hope that those behind got rid of everyone. It almost went, but Hanna hung on and it pays very much to lie in the back there when it goes downhill. She had more foot in her legs and took some powerful skates, slipped past and then I had no chance. It is of course very boring, she explains.
Öberg says that she got the last round exactly as she wanted, and is a little surprised by just that.
– Yes actually. I came by as I wanted. I knew it was important to be first into the last hill, because if you are number two, you have to go a much longer way. That was good for me, she states.
Røiseland also sees in retrospect that she could have done it a little differently.
– I could have tricked Hanna so she went a hard last lap. It is difficult to say how it would have been then, because it could have been mass asked and the outcome far worse than a fourth place, Røiseland believes.
But having lost two straight duels against Öberg, she does not like.
– It’s sour. I feel I have had some advantage over Hanna in recent years, but now she is starting to take revenge. I do not really like it, because I liked our relationship better when I won. She has two of two and I note it in the back of my mind. I hope the biggest revenge comes in the Olympics, says Røiseland.
Tooth decay dropped out from the start
For Ingrid Tandrevold, it was a slightly slower start, when she went downhill from the starting block. She got up quickly, but got one boom on the first lying down. She did the same on the other.
– It really sums up my run as well. I stumbled out from the start. It was so innmari close. She in front of me was only a few seconds ahead of me so when I was about to start I was a little too far behind and stuck my skis on a plank. It was my attempt to get out of the start quickly. It failed quite well, she says.
- Watch the men’s hunt start on NRK 1 at 15.00
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