The German biathlon duo consisting of Janina Hettich-Walz and Philipp Nawrath achieved a podium finish at a stadium spectacle in Stockholm.
Hettich-Walz and Nawrath took second place on Monday at the show event in Sweden, which was similar to a single mixed relay. The victory went to the Norwegian team Juni Arnekleiv and Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen. Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and Emilien Jacquelin from France completed the podium.
The so-called “Skidskyttekampen” celebrated its premiere this winter. The event in the Stockholm stadium is comparable to the “World Team Challenge” at Schalke. According to Swedish media reports, over 10,000 fans watched the biathlon spectacle in the Scandinavian metropolis.
“I think running was a lot of fun,” Arnekleiv was quoted as saying by the Aftonbladet newspaper. The Norwegian ski hunter revealed that she “absolutely wants to come back”.
The two Swedish biathlon pairings Elvira Öberg/Martin Ponsiluoma (4th place) and Mona Brorsson/Sebastian Samuelsson (6th place) each missed the podium. A total of eight teams took part in the final.
Biathlon season is heading towards a decision
The stadium event was a first benchmark after the previous World Championships in Nove Mesto. The Biathlon World Cup continues in Oslo from Thursday. After the stop at the legendary Holmenkollen, there are two more stops on the program this season: Soldier Hollow (USA/March 8th to 10th) and Canmore (Canada/March 14th to 17th).
In the men’s category, biathlon dominator Johannes Thingnes Bø leads the overall ranking. Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold is currently in the lead among women.
The end of the season promises a lot of excitement. The “Skidskyttekampen” in Stockholm was a small showcase for this.