The Norwegian biathlon relay team started the World Cup winter with a statement victory. A 22-year-old debutant was able to recommend himself for higher tasks.
No Bø brothers? No problem! The Norwegian men impressively won the first relay race after the two biathlon legends retired.
In Östersund, Sweden, Martin Uldal, Isak Frey, Sturla Holm Lægreid and Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen relegated the relay teams from France and Sweden to the other podium places. The German men finished the race in fourth place.
Isak Frey was able to immediately promote himself in his relay debut for Norway with a flawless performance at the shooting range and a strong running performance. The 22-year-old then made no secret of the fact that he would also like to play at the 2026 Winter Olympics (February 6th to 22nd).
“Of course it’s tempting. That was a good application, but there are still more races coming up. I’m looking forward to the sequel,” Frey told “TV2”. “It was a perfect start! I imagined this day and was ready to tackle it. I’m very happy with how it turned out,” said the Norwegian ski hunter.
The penalty loop creates tension late on
Teammate Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen unintentionally caused tension as the last runner on Saturday when he picked up a penalty in the prone stage and gave France and Sweden hope once again. However, the 33-year-old remained strong in the standing position and brought victory to the finish line with a lead of 15.3 seconds.
“It’s a great feeling, France and especially Sebbe [Schwedens Schlussläufer Sebastian Samuelsson; Anm.d.Red.] and leaving the Swedes 5-10 seconds behind in the second lap, beating them cold standing and finishing alone. “Those are probably the three best feelings in biathlon,” Christiansen said afterwards on “TV2”.