Three days of competition at the Swedish Roller Biathlon Championships in Lima produced six different Gold medalists: Johanna Skottheim, Ella Halvarsson, Hanna Oeberg, Jesper Nelin, Martin Ponsiluoma, and Sebastian Samuelsson, the only competitor finishing on the podium in every competition.
First Titles to Skottheim and Nelin
The three-day Swedish Roller Biathlon Championships opened on a wet Friday evening in Lima with Jesper Nelin and Johanna Skottheim claiming the Super Sprint Gold medals. Nelin, in the lead group from the outset, with single penalties in the two standing stages topped the men’s field in 11:50.1. Skottheim, after a single penalty in the opening prone stage, closed the next fifteen targets for a 13:23.4 win.
Sebastian Samuelsson, after three costly prone penalties rallied with 9-of-10 standing shooting to finish second, 16.8 seconds back. Tobias Arwidson in his 20th biathlon season, after cleaning both standing stages missed four standing shots in third place, 26.8 seconds back.
Skottheim, competing for the local Lima Ski Club, sealed her win by cleaning the first standing stage while her closest rivals Anna Magnusson and Hanna Oeberg picked up penalties. Magnusson finished second after cleaning the last standing stage, 21.3 seconds back, while Hanna, with three penalties on the day, finished third, 29.2 seconds back.
Halvarsson Wins; Gestblom Returns with Fifth Place
Ella Halvarsson, with three penalties and Sebastian Samuelsson, with five penalties won Gold medals in the second day Short Individuals. Halvarsson, recently crowned as Sweden’s Rookie of the Year won the women’s competition in the final standing stage when the leader Elvira Oeberg picked up three penalties, ceding the lead to Halvarsson. Halvarsson added just a single penalty in the last stage, cruising to a 38:16 victory. Oeberg with five penalties finished second, 29.5 seconds back. Norway’s Eline Grue who won the Blink Women’s Shooting Duel last week had four penalties, in third, 1:29 back. Linn Gestblom in her first competition in 18 months finished fifth, with five penalties, 1:39.1 back.
Samuelsson won his title with a strong performance on the tracks, despite three penalties taking the title in 38:29. His teammate Martin Ponsiluoma, as strong on the tracks finished second place, with five penalties, 14.6 seconds back. Local athlete Karl Gronland, second in the World University Games Mass Start last January, finished third place, with three penalties, 1:59.8 back.
Sprints to Martin and Hanna
Sprints concluded the weekend in Lima with Martin Ponsiluoma and Hanna taking their first Gold medals of these Championships. After finishing second to Samuelsson in the individual, Ponsiluoma came back Sunday with 9-for-10 shooting and another strong track performance for a 23:01.5 victory. Samuelsson, with two standing penalties finished well behind his teammate in second place, 53.5 seconds back. Norway’s Martin Femsteinevik, in third place matched Ponsiluoma on the range, 1:08.9 back.
Hanna, after struggling in the short individual roared back with a single standing penalty, taking Sprint Gold in 20:08.5. Super Sprint winner Skottheim, with a penalty in each stage finished second, 10.8 seconds back. Elvira, also with two penalties, finished third, 54.9 seconds back.
Photos: IBU/Svensk Skidskytte