The 30-year-old had flawless shooting and crossed the finish line in 20:28.5 minutes. A time that stood for a long time – but still not enough for victory in the biathlon World Cup premiere.
Instead, she finished second and was just as happy about it.
I'm so happy. I knew what was required, I wanted to give it my all and I'm so happy and satisfied that I succeeded. Because it was a bit shaky standing there, I have to admit, she tells SVT.
Finland's Suvi Minkkinen was 16.6 seconds faster and took the first individual World Cup victory of her career.
Star Hanna Öberg, however, had a tough debut. She finished in 59th place, with a total of five errors. A placement that was nevertheless enough to qualify for the pursuit start on Sunday, where the first 60 from the sprint get the chance.
It was bad, to be honest. Straight through, she tells SVT.
What I'm most disappointed about is that I'm not doing what I've been able to do in previous races and what I've been training for this summer. This was a slap in the face.
During the World Cup weekend in Östersund, the men's sprint, Saturday, and pursuit start, Sunday, will also be decided.
