Star misses out – replacement gets the nod

Last year, Hanna Öberg won the single mixed relay at the World Cup premiere in biathlon, together with Sebastian Samuelsson. This year, she is skipping the distance at the premiere because she is not in top form after a cold. It's a bit too early for my part, she says.

» Updated: Today, 19:42

» Published: Today, 17:37

Instead, Ella Halvarsson, new to the A-national team this season, gets the chance in the single mixed relay together with Sebastian Samuelsson. Halvarsson came third in the sprint at the Swedish premiere in Idre and then got a spot at the World Cup premiere in Kontiolax.

I became very happy and extremely nervous – I got goosebumps when I lay down, says Halvarsson about the reaction to getting to run the single mixed.

It's a bit extra to run a relay, you don't want to let anyone else down.

She has run the single mixed relay before – in Kontiolax. It was in the IBU Cup last year.

It's a flat course with only small hills and it suits me well. And single mixed, I like it, it's a favorite competition, says Halvarsson.

Relay partner Sebastian Samuelsson is calm.

It's a special situation for her. But she's cool and will handle it in a good way, he says.

Hanna Öberg is of course part of the Swedish team in Kontiolax and it's not unlikely that she'll be part of Sunday's women's relay team.

We'll see how the team selections turn out, I'll make sure to make the team too, she says with a laugh after Friday's training at the biathlon arena just outside Joensuu.

"I got a bit frustrated"

The biathlon star missed the Swedish premiere in Idre due to a cold.

It feels like I have a bit of extra premiere nerves here. I'm extremely happy to be healthy and have been able to train well here at the end and can participate here, she says.

She tells us that she was sick for about a week.

So I got a bit frustrated before it let up and I could start training. Now I've trained well for about a week and a half, so I don't expect to be in top-top form in the first races I run. But I should have a good basic level and then it should get better for each race I run.

Wants to stay healthy now

Last year, she had two periods of illness during the winter. That she now got sick before the season start thinks she's better than getting sick when the World Cup competitions are underway.