Strømsheim hit all 20 shots and beat Johannes Thingnes Bø and Sturla Holm Lægreid in the battle for victory. In the end, only three seconds separated Thingnes Bø in second place, while Lægreid was 24 seconds behind the winner.
– Now I’m fine, that is. It was really delicious. That you have to believe in things for it to work is just nonsense, because I had no faith at all when I woke up. It was a wonderful surprise, said Strømsheim to TV 2.
– It is my best race ever. There is nothing to wonder about, continued the 27-year-old took his second individual World Cup victory on Tuesday.
Thingnes Bø missed once. He had just under eight seconds up to Strømsheim after the last shooting, and although he gave it a real try, it just didn’t work out. There was a good atmosphere between them in the interview zone.
– There is friendliness in front of the camera and a fight tonight. He (Strømsheim) is not sleeping safely tonight, said a smiling Thingnes Bø to TV 2.
– I was one miss from taking it myself. I’m doing a fantastic race, but I’m competing against two teammates who are the two best in the world both on the shooting range and on the trail. Then it became three seconds too difficult, he continued.
Flawless Lægreid
Lægreid, like Strømsheim, shot flawlessly, but struggled with the lead.
– I can’t quite find the lead, and it takes two laps before I manage to find a good cruising speed, said Lægreid, who was satisfied with third place.
Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen missed two shots and finished just outside the top ten. Tarjei Bø had to endure three bans.
It was worse for Vebjørn Sørum (five misses) and Johannes Dale-Skjevdal (six misses).
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Innovation
New rules mean that the best no longer have to start early. The International Biathlon Union wants to keep the tension as long as possible and has decided that the 15 highest-ranked runners (based on the overall list in the World Cup) will have start numbers between 46 and 74. For the season opener, the final standings from the previous season were used.
This led to reigning champion Thingnes Bø finishing as number 66. He is among those who have expressed skepticism about the innovation. Strømsheim had starting number 56, while Lægreid went out as number 46.
Later in the week, there will be competition in the sprint and joint start in Finland.
Read also: Helbom for Norway in the World Cup opening in biathlon: – Only to regret