Oberhof World Championships 2023: Mari Eder collapsed at the shooting range

Mari Eder has collapsed at the shooting range of the World Championships in Oberhof. EPA / AOP

Thirty World Cup competition shots and 17 hits. Mari Eder’s the hitting percentage at Oberhof is exceptionally poor at 56.67.

What has happened to Eder, 35?

– Hard to say. I can’t point the finger at a specific problem, replies the Finnish head coach Erik Kulstad.

Eder rattled the metal in last Friday’s World Cup sprint race five times with ten laps and was in 69th place. On Wednesday, there were eight bumps in the 15 kilometer normal distance. He was ranked 62nd.

– Of course, this situation affects Mari’s self-confidence.

This season too, the skiing speed, an average of three seconds per kilometer loss to the fastest, would give the Finn the chance for top positions.

Eder has struggled throughout his career with uncertain shooting, but Oberhof’s collapse on the bench is probably the most severe of his career.

The hit percentages for the entire 2022–23 season are 82 from the horizontal and 73 from the vertical.

– I hope the shooting can be corrected before Saturday’s World Cup relay. Mari has the ability to shoot well, as long as she has confidence in herself – that’s the biggest thing, Kulstad commented.

Minkkinen winced

Suvi Minkkinen picked up a career-best personal finish on Wednesday when he was eighth in the 15km race.

– Suvi’s performance gives energy to the whole team, said the head coach.

Minkkinen dropped all 20 boards. Only Sweden, who won the silver, could do the same Linn Persson and Italy came fourth Samuel Comola.

– He always has a chance to shoot well, although this season it has been a bit difficult to get a perfect shot. It’s not about talent, it’s about mental performance, Kulstad estimates.

– Now he succeeded really well and got the top ranking.

In cross-country skiing, Minkkinen, 28, was 56th. Be different from the fastest skier in France To Julia Simon accumulated a good four minutes.

– It was a reasonable performance because he didn’t start too hard. The basic idea is that you have to have the strength for the last ski run. Of course, in a race like today, when there was a soft platform and a demanding track, the gaps became big. We know that Suvi is not the best skier, but she is competitive.

Seven gold?

One of the main topics of conversation at the Oberhof World Championships is whether you can Johannes Bö to win seven gold medals in as many trips.

So far, the Norwegian has four championships.

– When Johannes does a basic performance, he always wins. Now, of course, there is a little extra pressure when he is always expected to win, Kulstad analyzes his compatriot.

Bö, 29, has competed a total of 22 times this season in the World Cup and World Championships. He has a streak of 12 wins, a total of 19 wins, two third places and only one “bad” result (twelfth place in Kontiolahti 20 km).

– I read an article in a Norwegian newspaper that compared the time difference between the best and second best skiers from the last ten seasons. Based on that statistic, Johannes’ gap is twice as big as ever before.

To continue or not?

Kulstad, 31, signed a 1+3-year head coach contract with the Biathlon Union last spring.

– It has been a tiring but pleasant time in Finland.

Kulstad says that he discussed with the managers of the Biathlon Union whether the option years of the contract will be fulfilled.

– I want to work in biathlon. We have had good discussions with the Finnish Federation. I can’t say anything else about it.