OBERHOF. Here is the team that will chase Sweden’s first medal at the Biathlon World Cup.
Sebastian Samuelsson, Martin Ponsiluoma, Hanna Öberg and Elvira Öberg round the mixed relay.
– I think we have very good chances, says Ponsiluoma.
On Wednesday, the WC party gets underway here in Oberhof, Germany. Over 100,000 biathlon fans are expected to visit the championship and cheer on their heroes.
First up in the competition program is the mixed relay – and there head coach Johannes Lukas puts his strongest team on the track.
It will be, unsurprisingly, the sisters Öberg, Martin Ponsiluoma and Sebastian Samuelsson who will set out on the tracks to chase Sweden’s first medal in this WC.
Linn Persson is poked
This means that Linn Persson, who is ahead of Hanna Öberg in the overall World Cup, is pushed.
Linn Persson has made a big impression this season and is seventh overall in the World Cup, while Hanna Öberg is tenth, but then it should be added that the latter has been ill and missed a couple of competitions.
– The feeling is that my form has been rising ever since I came back from the illness, says Öberg.
Sweden seeks revenge
The Swedish team is one of the big medal favorites in advance and has – as extra fuel – revenge to demand after the snowy fourth place at the Olympics in China last year.
There, the Norwegian star Johannes Thingnes Bö faced a brutal final stretch and pushed Sweden off the podium.
It remains to be seen how it goes this time…
– We are definitely one of the nations that will fight for the medals and I personally think it is very fun to drive the final stretch when everything has to be decided, says Samuelsson.
The mixed relay starts at 14.45 tomorrow and will be broadcast on SVT and on SVT Play.
