Biathlon: Viktor Brandt shines in Munich despite lost luggage chaos

Sweden’s biathletes faced unexpected turmoil before a rollerski biathlon competition in Munich when their luggage did not make it onto the flight. As a result, several athletes had to compete with borrowed gear.

Despite the disruption, Viktor Brandt produced a superb qualifying run. Using others’ poles, wearing national team coach Johannes Lukas’s jacket and an unfamiliar helmet, Brandt shot clean across two shooting bouts in a total of 40 seconds and placed second in his heat. His time ranked second overall after all qualifying heats, with only Finland’s Tero Seppälä—who was in the same heat—going faster. Notably, Brandt finished ahead of Norway’s Sturla Holm Lægreid and Johannes Dale-Skjevdal.

Brandt joked afterward that he didn’t even want to know who had used the helmet before him. The finals in Munich’s Olympic Park were scheduled for 15:30 and broadcast on SVT’s Kunskapskanalen and SVT Play.

It was tougher going for some of his teammates using borrowed equipment. Martin Ponsiluoma missed the top three in his heat and was eliminated, finishing eighth of 14 with three misses. Jesper Nelin and Oscar Andersson also failed to make the final.

On the women’s side, Sweden secured two finalists: Anna Magnusson won the third qualifying heat ahead of compatriot Johanna Skottheim. Ella Halvarsson and Johanna Nordqvist did not advance.