Sweden’s Hanna Oeberg dueled with France’s Julia Simon throughout this afternoon’s Olso Holmenkollen Women’s 10 km Pursuit until finally getting a small gap in the final kilometre, sprinting to the finish for a 30:14 victory, with Simon a half second back. Hanna’s three-penalty win was her first-ever World Cup Pursuit victory, the first Sprint/Pursuit double of her career, upping her career victories to fifteen, one more than sister Elvira.

“Never done such a synced last shooting”

Hanna used some strategy in the final standing stage and last loop battle. “I felt like coming into the last standing that I needed to put a little bit of pressure on Julia, so I wanted lane number one. It was crazy. I do not think I have ever done such a synced last shooting and we both missed. I knew it would be a hard fight. I tried to stay behind and save some energy. Maybe I should have waited a little bit longer, but I did not want Elvira to catch up on us either. So, I went on the last hill. It was a really tough fight to the line. Maybe I was a bit tough in the corridor, but I felt like I was before her.”

“When you come out on top”

After such a hard fight, Hanna, who moved to second in the World Cup Total Score admitted, “I would have liked to shoot clean in the last shooting to have a bit more space in the last loop, but when you come out on top, it does not matter so much!”

Simon, in second, had a single penalty. Hanna’s sister, Elvira, with one penalty finished third as in the sprint, 23.2 seconds back.

Jeanmonnot Captures Pursuit Score Globe

Yellow Bib Lou Jeanmonnot of France finished fourth, with one penalty, 57.2 seconds back. Jeanmonnot’s fourth place gave her enough points to capture the World Cup Pursuit Score Crystal Globe to go along with the Total Score, Individual and Sprint Scores this year. Italy’s Lisa Vittozzi with five penalties finished fifth, 1:09.7 back. Germany’s Vanessa Voigt shot clean in sixth, 1:12 back.

Shot-for-Shot Duel

After a couple of very mild spring-like days, Pursuit Saturday was still sunny but cooler, with again very light shooting range winds. Simon jumped into the lead with a clean first prone. Hanna retained second after two penalties and Elvira also with a penalty fourth, 15 seconds back.

Simon and Hanna duelled shot-for-shot perfectly leaving virtually together in both the second prone and first standing stages. After the first standing, Elvira was alone in third, 30+ seconds before Jeanmonnot.

Sprint to Victory

The duo shot together in a tense last standing, with both missing a shot, leaving the penalty loop together. They battled on the last loop. Simon led until Hanna powered up the final big hill. Behind the range, Simon closed but could not get past her rival, with Hanna sprinting to a half-second victory.

Photos: IBU/Nordnes, Yevenko, Nordic Focus