Sjåstad Christiansen acknowledges: – I have a lot to learn

Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen (32) emerged as the strongest in the season opener at Sjusjøen, but it was a close call. After the race, he admitted he has much to learn from today's second-place finisher, Vebjørn Sørum.

Sjåstad Christiansen shot flawlessly but struggled during the final laps, managing to maintain his lead over his competitors during Saturday's sprint at Sjusjøen. "It was beyond all expectations. I got good feedback today. I'm particularly pleased with the shooting range, where I kept my cool in the wind," Sjåstad Christiansen told NRK after the race.

The two junior competitors, Vebjørn Sørum and Martin Uldal, were closest to Sjåstad Christiansen in the sprint at Sjusjøen. Uldal placed third with ten hits, while Sørum, who had nine hits, finished only a few seconds behind Sjåstad Christiansen after a tremendous final lap.

Sørum was 36.9 seconds behind Sjåstad Christiansen after the standing shooting but only finished 2.4 seconds behind at the finish. "I was a little surprised when I crossed the finish line and saw I was in second place, only two seconds behind. That felt really cool, and my last lap was excellent. I was a bit worried after the first round when I heard I was 15 seconds behind," Sørum said to NRK.

Sjåstad Christiansen noted that he wanted to test his opening pace thoroughly, which took its toll on the final round. "I really struggled during the last lap. It was pure luck that I held Vebjørn behind me," he stated. He further mentioned that he expects much from Sørum's finish, indicating that he can learn a lot from him since they share similar body types.

Johannes Thingnes Bø had a chance to claim victory but ended up in tenth place with two misses during standing shooting, finishing 46.9 seconds behind Sjåstad Christiansen. Thingnes Bø was self-critical of his performance, expressing that it was a challenging season opener and acknowledging he has some soul-searching to do.

Sturla Holm Lægreid also shot ten hits but struggled with speed, finishing eighth. Tarjei Bø crossed the finish line over a minute behind Sjåstad Christiansen after two misses during standing shooting.

Sivert Guttorm Bakken made a comeback almost three years after winning a World Cup race in Holmenkollen, after suffering heart inflammation following complications from his third COVID-19 vaccine. He shot perfectly and finished thirteenth at Sjusjøen.