Disappointment for Norway – completely shot away in Finnish sensation victory

Disappointment for Norway – completely shot away in Finnish sensation victory - Eurosport

Norwegian biathletes Vebjørn Sørum and Karoline Knotten squandered their victory chances early in the mixed relay at the World Cup in Oberhof. Ultimately, they finished in eighth place. They were in 13th place halfway through the event.

Sørum faced a challenging start, missing five shots and incurring two penalty laps in his first visit to the shooting range, needing an extra shot to complete the standing stage. He passed the baton in 15th place.

“I spoiled things a bit from the start, which was really frustrating. It was a bit difficult to read the wind today, and I ended up a bit to the left,” Sørum told TV 2.

Knotten made up some time on the course, but with two penalty laps for her as well, their initial position after two stages proved very challenging to recover from.

The Norwegian team ended with four penalty rounds and 13 extra shots, significantly lagging behind the leading teams.

“It was just too much errors and stress. Unfortunately, I couldn't show my best today,” Knotten said.

Finnish competitors Tero Seppala and Suvi Minkkinen took a stunning win in the mixed relay ahead of Quentin Fillon Maillet and Paula Botet from France, while Justus Strelow and Selina Grotian secured the third spot for Germany.