Biathlon: the only Norwegian team in the world to close the European championships
One little mistake. That was the only mistake made by the Norwegians on Sunday in the men’s relay at the European Biathlon Championships, which were drawing to a close on the slopes of Martel-Val Martello in Italy. Simply stratospheric, the Scandinavians never wavered.
The Nordic biathletes had already won two continental titles in the individual and sprint events, withIsak Frey and Sivert Guttorm Bakken taking the honours, but they missed out on the gold medal in the pursuit, where the surprising Italian Patrick Braunhofer came out on top.
In this Sunday’s race, Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen, Sverre Dahlen Aspenes, Sivert Guttorm Bakken and Isak Frey were determined to win the race in style.
A regular on the World Cup circuit, the experienced Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen was the only member of his team to miss a ball. The sturdy young man was the first relay runner, but got his nation off to a good start with a full standing shot.
“I used my strength on the flat parts”.Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen at the IBU
“I used my strength on the flat sections and tried to give Sverre [Dahlen Aspenes, editor’s note] as much of a lead as possible. In the end, I was the only Norwegian who was forced to pick,” he told the IBU after the race. I have to do better next time!
Behind him, his three young compatriots proudly defended their chances. Gradually increasing their lead after numerous mistakes by their opponents, the Norwegians ended the competition with a lead of more than two minutes.
This colossal gap even allowed Isak Frey, the last relay player of the day, to put on a show in the final round. On the shooting range, the current IBU Cup leader made a token of appreciation to his coach before taking a photo with another member of his staff a few metres further down the track.
“It’s rare for four athletes from the same team to put in a perfect performance on the same day”.Isak Frey at the IBU
“It was an incredible team performance. I was alone on the track,” he congratulated himself in the mixed zone. I stayed focused and tried to do as well as my team-mates before me. It’s rare for four athletes from the same team to put in a perfect performance on the same day.
Read also
