Biathlon: Norwegians shrug off Swedish jab ahead of Olympic season

Swedish biathlon stars have fired an early-season jab at Norway, suggesting the Norwegians will struggle more this winter without the Bø brothers on the start line. Sebastian “Sebbe” Samuelsson told SVT he expects “a really tough time for them” and looks forward to “a season without so many Norwegian wins.”

Endre Strømsheim, the reigning mass start world champion, dismissed the talk, telling NRK that Samuelsson “hasn’t been paying attention.” He argued the main pressure for Norwegian athletes will come from inside their own camp in an Olympic year, with only four athletes allowed per individual race at the Games. Strømsheim added that Norway has actually focused more on the French team than the Swedes.

NRK expert and former star Marte Olsbu Røiseland acknowledged that Johannes Thingnes Bø will be missed, but believes Norway’s depth will keep them at the top. With Strømsheim and Sturla Holm Lægreid continuing, plus proven contenders like Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen and Johannes Dale-Skjevdal and several hungry youngsters stepping up from the IBU Cup, she expects more strong results from Norway.

The Swedes, Samuelsson and Martin Ponsiluoma among them, argued that the Bø brothers absorbed much of the spotlight and pressure in recent years. Still, the article notes that Sweden’s men failed to win an individual medal at last winter’s World Championships in Lenzerheide, where Strømsheim led a Norwegian sweep of the mass start ahead of Johannes Thingnes Bø and Lægreid.