The 25-year-old Ella Halvarsson took a World Championship silver in the distance race in Swiss Lenzerheide on Tuesday – in her first senior World Championship in her career.
Now she gets a chance at a new medal together with Sebastian Samuelsson in Thursday's single mixed relay. This means that national team coach Johannes Lukas chooses to leave out Elvira Öberg, who earlier in the championship took silver in the pursuit.
"Took it well"
She took it in a very good way, says Lukas about the omission of Elvira Öberg.
She missed the mixed relay due to illness and then won her first individual medal. I think she's very happy and think we've made the right decision, he continues.
Hanna Öberg is also left out. She and Sebastian Samuelsson have driven all five World Championship races since the single mixed relay was introduced to the program in 2019 with two bronzes on their merit list.
I think it's somewhat obvious, considering the latest competitions, that it stood foremost between Ella and Elvira in this case.
Samuelsson had a tough day in the distance race. He was worst of the four Swedish male biathletes with a 47th place after six penalties.
Sebastian didn't have his best day today, but we know that he's best at reloading also. He likes these situations. In single mixed relay, he's had good successes before, says Lukas.
Samuelsson was disappointed after the distance race.
But we know that he's best at reloading also. He likes these situations, says Lukas.
"No skiing competition"
Martin Ponsiluoma finished 19th after five penalties, but "Ponsi" showed, as usual, good skiing form. He doesn't seem to have been close to beating Sebastian Samuelsson, though.
Tomorrow is no skiing competition, it's a shooting competition, says Lukas and continues:
It's about being very efficient on the shooting range, especially in the decisive situations, and then "Sebbe" has a bit more experience than "Ponsi".
Halvarsson and Samuelsson won the single mixed relay in the World Cup premiere in Kontiolahti earlier this winter. This was during Halvarsson's first season in the World Cup.
