Biathlon prospect Sara Andersson on fierce team competition: “A luxury problem”

Swedish biathlete Sara Andersson had to wait four days longer than most of her teammates to learn whether she would compete at the World Cup opener in Östersund. In the end, she made the team and will start in the women’s individual race.

Head coach Johannes Lukas initially named three athletes—Johanna Skottheim, Sara Andersson and Anna‑Karin Heijdenberg—to wait for a final decision due to the depth of the women’s squad. The remaining spots eventually went to Skottheim and Andersson, leaving Heijdenberg out for the opener.

Andersson says she expected selections to take longer this season because there are eight women fighting for only six individual start places each week, meaning some athletes will inevitably miss World Cup starts. She adds that her preparation would not have changed with an earlier decision, as she would compete either in the World Cup or, if not selected, in the IBU Cup.

Calling the situation a “luxury problem,” Andersson believes the internal competition makes everyone better. The 22‑year‑old, who won the junior world championship mass start last season, hopes for a strong season opening as she pursues an Olympic spot this winter.

SVT Sport expert Mona Brorsson underlines the pressure within the Swedish team, saying there is no room for poor shooting or off‑days in such a competitive environment. Andersson discusses how much pressure she feels ahead of her first race in the accompanying video clip.

The Östersund World Cup women’s races are scheduled on SVT1/SVT Play in the afternoon slot listed in the article.