Tarjei Bö wins at rainy Le Grand Bornand

Biathlon: Tarjei Bö wins at rainy Le Grand Bornand

Rain and gloomy weather proved challenging for the Swedish biathlon team during the season's second mass start event. Tarjei Bö emerged as the winner of the race held in France, where Sebastian Samuelsson was the highest-ranking Swedish athlete compared to his competitors.

The Swedish athletes faced a tough competition under breezy and rainy conditions in Le Grand Bornand. Although the flags did not indicate strong winds, numerous missed shots meant that the Swedish team was unable to showcase a strong performance in the top standings.

Sebastian Samuelsson faced an early setback with two missed shots directly after the start, feeling frustrated with his performance: "It’s disappointing to start like that. I didn’t think it was that windy," he told SVT Sport.

Bö's Performance

Meanwhile, others seemed to handle the conditions better, most notably the Norwegian athletes. Bö confidently crossed the finish line as the clear winner, despite only having one missed shot. Following him were four of his compatriots chasing down a lone German competitor, Danilo Riethmüller, who had previously never placed better than fourth in the World Cup before this race. After the final shoot, he went out second, showcasing excellent shooting with only one miss.

As for the Norwegian contingent behind Riethmüller, they included Sturla Holm Lægreid, Johannes Thingnes Bö, Vebjørn Sörum, and Martin Uldal, fighting for the remaining podium positions, with Johannes Thingnes Bö ultimately securing third place.

Sebastian Samuelsson's top ten finish holds merit against the backdrop of the entire season start, despite today's performance not being at its best: "I think I did well fighting for it, and in the end, top ten. This wasn’t my best race, but looking at the season start overall, I’ve made it into the top ten in all but one race," said Samuelsson.