Biathlon: Elvira Öberg’s setback — three misses in the first shooting

Elvira Öberg’s tough early-season form continued on Sunday in the women’s mass start at Le Grand‑Bornand.

The 26‑year‑old Swede missed three shots in the first shooting stage, which immediately dropped her to last among the 30 starters, 1:09.1 behind the leader. “It really sucks,” she told SVT Sport.

Shooting coach Jean‑Marc Chabloz showed the grouping afterward and noted that all the shots were far to the right. “It’s often about how you lie down on the mat. Elvira also tends to ‘cant’ a bit inward, so it only takes her lying a little straighter to end up with that right‑side impact,” he explained.

Öberg herself couldn’t pinpoint the cause: “That’s a very good question. It’s not really a bad series, but I end up low at around four‑to‑five o’clock. So it really sucks.” She added that she otherwise felt physically sharp on one of her favorite courses and was frustrated to see the race compromised immediately.

Elvira Öberg finished 19th with five total misses, 1:23 behind the winner, Norway’s Maren Kirkeeide.