– I felt I lost to a very good competitor. Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen drew the shortest straw in the Champion of Masters this week. – I don’t have the greatest competitive instinct in life, she reveals to news after the exit. But the cross-country runner was not the only one who struggled with focus in an episode that was about just that. See what Jacobsen had to say to news right after the night test: After 12 seconds, it called a halt. The evening started openly, because it was even between the points after last week. In the first exercise, four balls were to be kept in play on a board, without the participants losing them. If they managed to keep it going for five minutes, they had another ball to deal with. Few were able to do that. Figure skater Camilla Gjersem held on for 20 seconds. Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen and handball player Marit Malm Frafjord managed 19. Tiril Eckhoff lost his way after only 12 seconds, and reacted with a spontaneous crow’s dive in sheer astonishment: Birgitte Lersbryggen and Pål-André Helland both got over the five-minute mark. Once again, it was a shooter who impressed the most. Ole-Kristian Bryhn keeps the ball in play for almost nine minutes, and takes a clear victory. Practice makes perfect? And the winning streak didn’t stop there. In the exercise “Forward, quiet, behind” it is important to have lightning-quick reaction skills. A highly concentrated group stands ready to carry out the command that suddenly appears in front of them. Marit Malm Frafjord makes a strong performance. But in the end have to see themselves beaten by Ole-Kristian Bryhn. Pål-André Helland’s strategy of not rehearsing, on the other hand, turns out not to be so smart. He is among the first to smoke. Neither Pål André Helland nor snowboarder Terje Håkonsen had prepared before the competition. – I thought it was better to be completely relaxed, says Helland after the blunder. – But it actually is, says Håkonsen with a laugh. Which of tonight’s exercises did you think was the most entertaining? Ball control Forward, quiet, back Full focus (obstacle course) Show result In the last exercise of the evening, on the other hand, the snowboarder gets to show off his strengths. Because it turns out that the 49-year-old has steely control over his balance skills. He elegantly sneaks through the “Full focus” obstacle course and runs to victory. Skiing duel Thus Tiril Eckhoff and Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen had to fight each other in the second night test of the season. – It has been intense. You get to know and like people very quickly, says Jacobsen. She takes the exit in stride, but says she would like to stay longer and try her hand at exercises where she is a little more at home. TIGHT GANG: Jacobsen says the worst thing about smoking was leaving the gang. She believes the participants will keep in touch. Photo: Alice Asplund / Nordisk Banijay/news The skier from Oslo has won three WC golds, two WC silvers and five WC bronzes during her career. She has 41 podium places in the World Cup and has been awarded both an honorary prize and the King’s Cup over the years. In 2018, Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen won Olympic gold in the sprint in Pyeongchang. Photo: Eric Gaillard / Reuters The medal that has left the deepest mark, however, is not of the noblest gold. In 2014, Jacobsen went through the toughest period in her life, when her brother took his own life. The following year she won silver in the skiathlon at the WC in Falun. – It wasn’t that I went through it. But at least I had managed to live with it, go on a huge spree and come back after my brother died, she says and adds: – It’s probably a personal highlight. Although it is not the most precious metal I have, it is the most behind.
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– It has been intense – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
