Biathlon: Hanna Öberg Out of Form – Misses Pursuit Start: "Tough for Her"

Biathlon: Hanna Öberg Out of Form – Misses Pursuit Start: "Tough for Her"

Hanna Öberg had a difficult day both at the shooting range and on the course, finishing 66th in the Hochfilzen sprint. As a result, she will not participate in Saturday's pursuit start.
- "If you've been in bed for two weeks, you don’t feel great," said national coach Johannes Lukas to SVT Sport.

Only the top 60 competitors qualify for the pursuit, and after three misses and slow skiing (she was ranked 59th with a time 1:44 behind Anamarija Lampic), it remains to be seen if Öberg will compete in Sunday’s relay.
- "She is at least a minute behind her usual pace," SVT Sport expert Björn Ferry commented, expressing concern about the struggling star.

Hanna Öberg won a test race prior to the Swedish premiere in Idre a month ago but then fell ill, resulting in a tough start to the season.
- "It continues to be difficult for her, but resting for two weeks makes it hard to bounce back, and we need to analyze how to move forward," Coach Lukas added.

“Not Worrisome”

• How concerning is it that her skiing looks as it does?

• "It is not worrisome because there is a clear explanation. Before her illness, she was slightly behind Elvira but still clearly the second-best Swede," Lukas said.

• What is the plan for Hanna?

• "We felt that training was going well and wanted her to compete to get her body back into working order, but we’ll see how she feels before we formulate a solid plan moving forward. She is obviously disappointed and hoped for a better response from her body," Lukas stated, adding that he will sit down with Hanna Öberg this evening.