When the World Championship team was presented about a week ago, head coach Johannes Lukas left two spots open – one on the women's and one on the men's side.
The European Championship in Italian Martell would be decisive for making it into the team, and after three individual medals, it was hard for Lukas not to select Anna-Karin Heijdenberg, who won gold, silver, and bronze.
Heijdenberg gets the spot, but the national team management simultaneously chooses to expand the team to six female biathletes and also selects Johanna Skottheim.
"It has been tight between Anna-Karin and Johanna, and both have performed well at high altitude, so we give them both spots on the World Championship team", says Johannes Lukas in a press release from the Swedish Biathlon Federation.
Skottheim did not win a medal at the European Championship, but was part of the winning relay team in the World Cup recently and took fifth place in the pursuit in Ruhpolding in mid-January.
Emil Nykvist won European Championship bronze in the individual event and finished sixth in the sprint, and he is now rewarded with a spot on the World Championship team.
The World Championship will take place in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, 12–23 February.
Facts: Swedish World Championship Team
TT
Women: Elvira Öberg, Piteå Biathlon Club, Hanna Öberg, do, Anna Magnusson, do, Anna-Karin Heijdenberg, Tullus SG, Ella Halvarsson, Biathlon Östersund, Johanna Skottheim, Lima SKG.
Men: Martin Ponsiluoma, Tullus SG, Sebastian Samuelsson, I21 IF, Jesper Nelin, Biathlon Östersund, Viktor Brandt, I2 IF, Emil Nykvist, SK Bore.
