In the last of the eight shootings, Hanna Öberg came in alone, but with Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold just ten seconds behind. The pressure was great for the home hope, and the Swedish woman couldn’t handle it at all. Four misses in a row ensured that there was a penalty round at Öberg. – Poor Sweden, says news expert Torgeir Bjørn. CRACKED: Hanna Öberg. Photo: TT NEWS AGENCY / Reuters – Total crack, concluded Ola Lunde. – Of course I am not satisfied with what was delivered there. I was surprised. I just kept missing and then I thought “what’s wrong?”, says Hanna Öberg to news. – That’s what happens, and I’m not going to dig myself for this, continues Öberg. – This is exactly what I did not see coming, that Hanna Öberg would start with four misses in standing shooting. It was a real bummer. All credit to Ingrid who kept a cool head, says Synnøve Solemdal. Because despite the fact that Tandrevold had to use two extra shots, the Fossum woman took a clear lead and ensured a Norwegian victory. With a margin of victory of 41 seconds, Marthe Kråkstad Johansen, Juni Arnekleiv, Karoline Knotten and Tandrevold won the season’s first relay. – I was completely inspired by the others’ stages. Think we won. It was completely raw, says Tandrevold to news. – I am really proud of my team, Tandrevold concluded. Sweden was second, while Germany in third place was 47 seconds behind Norway. – It was quite big. It’s great to get your first podium, says Kråkstad Johansen to news. NORWAY ON TOP: The Norwegian women were able to stand at the top of the podium in Östersund. Photo: Pontus Lundahl / AP The debutante is celebrated For Kråkstad Johansen had only run two individual World Cup races in her career, before she made her debut on the relay in the first stage on Wednesday. There it was a perfect start for the athlete from Mo i Rana, with five hits on the first shot. – Brilliant by Marthe Kråkstad Johansen. First real test as a relay runner for Norway and out in the open, said news commentator Jann Post. Also on the second shooting, the debutant scored five hits. – I heard it on the radio when I was warming up. It was just absolutely raw. Ten out of ten hits straight down, says Tandrevold. – I think it’s so fun to watch. She is so cold and it looks so nice on the shooting range. It looks so printed and safe. I enjoy myself so much when Marthe shoots standing up, says Solemdal. Thus, Kråkstad Johansen was in the close group until the first changeover. – I think we can establish once and for all that Krågstad Johansen has delivered what she needs to in her application as a first stage runner for Norway in the years to come, says Bjørn. – How is it for you to receive so much praise after such a stage, Kråkstad Johansen? – I will take that with me further. I will use that for the sprint and the next races, replies Kråkstad Johansen. On the second stage, it was not routine for Norway either, where Juni Arnekleiv was going out on her second World Cup relay in her career. The previous one was also in Östersund, and that relay – which took place in March – ended with victory for Norway. On Wednesday, she laid the foundations for another Norwegian triumph. After a stage with two extra shots and good speed in the track, Arnekleiv had gained a gap of 37 seconds down to the Czech Republic halfway through the relay. – What a relay stage she does, says Post. In the third leg, Karoline Knotten went for Norway, but from the depths, Sweden had moved up during the relay. With lightning fast Elvira Öberg, the Swedes gained second by second on Norway, and in the sixth shooting the teams were almost equal. Dramatic shooting There Knotten had to use all three extra shots, and while the youngest sister Öberg went out on top, everything was going wrong for Norway. – And then she loses the extra shot and has to retrieve it! Then even more seconds pass and it becomes more stressful, Ola Lunde exclaimed. However, Knotten did not allow himself to be stressed and got the last flash down. – It is very well done by Knotten, says Post. The gap to the Swedish women had in any case been 23 seconds before Tandrevold was sent out on the last leg. In a duel with her elder sister Öberg, she went significantly faster and with faultless horizontal shooting the distance was down to ten seconds. That distance was maintained until the last shooting, and there, as is well known, Hanna Öberg was completely blown away. Norway did as they did in Östersund in March, and won the women’s relay. Watch the men’s relay from Östersund on NRK1 from 15:10 Thursday.
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The Norwegian women won a highly dramatic relay in Östersund – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule
