Norway seal mixed relay title in Oestersund
BySportsbeat
Updated 26/11/2017 at 21:06 GMT
The biathlon World Cup got off to a flying start on Sunday as Norway took the mixed relay title in Oestersund, Sweden.
The Norwegian team (LtoR) Emil Hegle Svendsen, Johannes Thingnes Boe, Tiril Eckhoff and Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold celebrate with the gold medals after winning the mixed realy 2x6 km+2x7,5 km at the IBU Biathlon World Cup in Ostersund, Sweden
Image credit: Getty Images
Led by Emil Hegle Svendsen, Norway beat Italy by 5.3 seconds as they went 0+13 in their shooting between the entire team.
Dominik Windisch had pulled Italy level with just one leg of the relay to go, but Svendsen was too quick for Lukas Hofer, who shot 1+4 to finish behind the Norwegian.
It was the third time in a row Norway have won the opening mixed relay of the World Cup season, and Svendsen was understandably pleased with his team's efforts.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2017/11/26/2218445-46267830-2560-1440.jpg)
Emil Hegle Svendsen of Norway competes on the shotting range during the mixed realy 2x6 km+2x7,5 km at the IBU Biathlon World Cup in Ostersund, Sweden
Image credit: Getty Images
"It was really tough fight today," said the four-time Olympic champion and 12-time world champion.
"I looked back. It's impossible not to look back but I tried to focus on myself. I was a little insecure (Lukas might catch me) in the start of the lap, but I looked behind and I had five seconds."
Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold, Tiril Eckhoff and Johannes Thingnes Boe had stretched Norway's lead out to more than 20s at one point, but Italy pulled it back to level pegging for the final 7.5km leg.
And while Norway and Italy were battling it out between themselves for the win, Germany almost snuck up to surprise the pair of them.
Starting the final leg more than 40s behind the leaders, Arnd Peiffer got to within 1.1s of the Italians at the finish line as Germany beat Slovakia into bronze.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement