Blinkfestivalen Opens Rollerski Season; Hedegart wins Lysebotn Opp
The wait is over; biathlon returns this week with the Blinkfestivalen kicking off rollerski season. In the opening round, 2023 IBU Junior World Championships Pursuit and Individual Silver medalist Einar Hedegart sprinted away from the pack in the last 600 meters to take victory in the Lysebotn Opp 7.5 km skate competition.
Hedegart won two Cross-country Gold medals at Milan/Cortina and making his return to international biathlon competition this week at Blink was thrilled with the win. He told NRK at the finish, “It's great. It was my first real test, and I passed it. It felt pretty good the whole way.”
Not taking the victory lightly, the 24-year-old admitted, “A Lysebotn victory is something you carry with you for the rest of your life and doing it wearing starting number 1 is special.”
The coming weeks feature City Biathlon Dresden, a fistful of national championships now through early October and the Loop One Festival wrapping up the biathlon on wheels season.
Sandnes Norway is the epicenter of rollerski season this week with the infamous Lysebotn Opp as the opener. The shooting duel and super sprint are on the Friday card with mass starts Saturday evening. After a long Olympic season, the field is a bit thinner, but the always fun Norwegian/French biathlon rivalry will be out in force, with Sweden, Poland, Austria and Latvia adding to the international flavor.
Eric and Sturla Rematch: Uldal Defends
The men’s field features the last two World Cup Total Score winners, Eric Perrot and Sturla Holm Laegreid. Perrot spent the summer in Norway with Blink as his last stop before heading home. Last summer, this duo battled in the super sprint, with Perrot taking a very close win. Beyond those two, Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen who owns more Blink wins than you can count will look for another after winning Milan/Cortina Sprint Silver, a spot ahead of Bronze medalist Laegreid. Olympic Mass Start Silver medalist Martin Uldal showed his prowess last August winning the shooting duel, topping Perrot in the mass start and will be ready for a rematch. Not to be overlooked among the home team are Olympic Mass Start Gold medalist Johannes Dale-Skjevdal and surprise Olympic 20 km Gold medalist Johan Olav Smoerdal Botn plus Isaak Leknes Frey. Hedegart, with his strength on the tracks could be the Norwegian wild card. France also has Emilien Claude, IBU Cup Total Score winner Gaetan Paturel and Oscar Lombardot challenging the Norwegians.
Kirkeeide and Simon
Last year’s Blink champions Lisa Vittozzi and Lou Jeanmonnot both opted out this year, but four Olympic Gold medalists will toe the line. Norway’s Olympic Sprint Champion Maren Kirkeeide will look to get a victory, but a strong French presence will challenge. Olympic 15 km Gold medalist and 2023 World Cup Total Score winner Julia Simon, winner of the 2024 super sprint will challenge Kirkeeide. Teammate and Olympic Mass Start Champion Oceane Michelon will make her second Blink appearance while 2022 Olympic Mass Start Champion Justine Braisaz-Bouchet looks to kick off the new season with a solid performance. Fifth in the Total Score Elvira Oeberg also is capable of battling for the win with her typical strong track presence. Beyond Kirkeeide, Norway has Juni Arnekleiv, twice on the Blink podium last year plus her Olympic Relay Bronze medal teammates Marthe Krakstad Johansen, and Karoline Offigstad Knotten as well as Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold.
Look for some hotly contested competitions this weekend as rollerski season gets underway.
Photos: IBU/Nordic Focus
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