Nine months before the first shot was fired in the season-opening Oestersund World Cup, four Swedish biathletes had their tickets booked for the 2026 Milan/Cortina Olympic Winter Games. Although Hanna and Elvira Oeberg, Martin Ponsiluoma, and Sebastian Samuelsson were guaranteed spots in May, they still focused on success in the new season.

Samuelsson summed up the early selection. “I did not think too much about it (the pre-selection). My goal is to go to the Olympics and fight for medals. To do that, I would have to be good and do good races. If I am not doing that, then the pre-qualifying means nothing to me. Making the team is not enough.”

“I do not take it completely for granted”

Hanna confirmed the Olympic nomination was step one, because Sweden’s talented roster has multiple women vying for Olympic starts. “Even though I got the ticket in May, I still need to perform not just to be in Antholz but to be named to race. We will have six girls but only four will race every race. I do not take it completely for granted, even though I have the ticket.”

Delivering Results

All four delivered in competition, justifying their early selection. Samuelsson’s form has been the best: 4th in the Total Score, with 5 Flower Ceremonies, and among the fastest skiers every week. Ponsiluoma has two Top Six results and is skiing typically fast. Hanna, after summer health issues, shot clean, winning the Annecy Le Grand Bornand Sprint and anchored a dominating Hochfilzen Relay win. Although sickness marred Elvira’s first trimester, she skied well in the last two weeks, showing her potential with a single-penalty jump from 30th to 10th in the Annecy Le Grand Bornand Pursuit.

Elvira, “Sprint Gold”

Still, their goals revolve around Olympic medals. Beijing Sprint/Pursuit Silver medalist Elvira, given the choice of winning one Olympic medal this year, wants “Sprint Gold, because I think it is the most difficult race to win.” Beijing Mass Start Silver medalist Ponsiluoma, looks forward to medal opportunities “I’ve had many good races there. The course is really good for me; I love the altitude and the atmosphere…I would say we have a really good chance for a medal in every relay.”

“A normal race is good enough”

2018 Gold and Silver medalist Samuelsson, at his best in the biggest events, “I feel like there is more on the line. I like that feeling and think I perform better with that kind of pressure.” His key to winning an Olympic medal, “At the Olympics, the hardest thing is to just believe that a normal race is good enough. Many athletes want to do something extra, be in their peak form and make a career-best race. I try to focus on being so good that with a normal race, that is enough. It does not have to be spectacular. Then it is much easier, even though there is a lot of pressure!”

“Important to have a team that supports you”

On a Swedish squad personified by, “teamwork makes the dream work,” Hanna reflected on the importance of team after her surprise 2018 Women’s 15 km Individual Gold medal. “The biggest thing that I took from that day was that the whole team was so happy for me. It meant a lot that they were genuinely happy for me…It still leaves me a little emotional; it is important to have a team that supports you.”

Maybe that team support and confidence was really the most important thing about the early Olympic selections.

Photos: IBU/Christian Manzoni, Yevenko, Nordic Focus