Already at the first change it was a mess. Sturla Holm Lægreid was very late to the start, but just made it into the changeover area in time. The 26-year-old still looked unaffected when he walked his leg, and came in first to switch with a lead of 42.6 seconds. Then it really went wrong. Tarjei Bø had to run to the starting line to make the switch between him and Lægreid. It looked as though Bø had forgotten to put on his skis in time for the changeover. – I didn’t see Sturla in the fog, maybe that was it. I didn’t see him on the big screen, and that’s where I usually watch. It was embarrassing, quite simply, says Bø to TV 2. Lægreid was also surprised that Bø was not ready in the changing area. – It was a shock. It was strange that there was no one there. I began to think whether I had gone wrong and towards the goal, or whether I should go one more round, says Lægreid to news. During the interview, Bø had cleaned up after himself, and turned the whole stage around with his standing series. COULD HAVE GONE WRONG: It was just that Tarjei Bø (tv) managed the exchange with Sturla Holm Lægreid. Photo: AFP The fog caused problems – We have previously talked about athletes who have not been ready to switch and Tarjei finds it funny. Now he is one of them himself. He will really get to drive in the next few weeks, he says. – You weren’t out so early yourself? – I was stressed, and I think it went just right. I didn’t want to stand there freezing, so I think I waited an extra ten seconds. I hit the timing quite well, he concludes. It was the fog that made it difficult for the two Norwegians to be in place at the start. Oberhof is known for fog, little snow and cancellations. – Sturla says that you tend to laugh at those who are not ready for change? – I’m adding to the gape stick tonight. You just have to take out the axe, says Bø to news, who takes self-criticism for the change. Demonstration of power It was Jaktstart winner Endre Strømsheim who walked the first stage for Norway. In prone shooting, there were two misses for Strømsheim, under what TV2’s biathlon expert Ole Einar Bjørndalen described as “very demanding conditions”. The 26-year-old nevertheless took to the track well, and changed just 4.7 seconds behind French Fabien Claude, who was first to change. CHEERING: The Norwegian men could cheer the loudest in Oberhof. Photo: AFP After two very good stages by both Lægreid and Bø – despite a mess in the switchbacks – Johannes Thingnes Bø was able to elegantly stroll Norway to victory. Norway’s anchorman himself scored ten clean hits on his leg.
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