Grotian and Stroemsheim win second sprint in Idre Fjall

Selina Grotian of Germany and Endre Stroemsheim of Norway are the winners of the second sprint in Idre Fjall.

For Grotian it was a first-ever win in her first-ever IBU Cup, Stroemsheim won for a third time in four competitions in Sweden.

Grotian stuns the field

Grotian - still only 18 years old and competing in her first-ever IBU Cup - cleared all the targets for a win with 20:53.7. Tilda Johansson of Sweden, missing one target, finished second, 7.3 seconds behind Grotian. Vanessa Hinz of Germany finished third, just 1.4 seconds behind Johansson.

Grotian, who qualified for the IBU Cup in Germany’s last qualification training in Obertilliach, was 11th after the prone and 3rd after one miss in the standing shooting. Known for her strong finish, she won the decisive seconds in the final loop, almost matching Anamarija Lampič’s time.

“I am still a youth athlete and was actually planed for the IBU Junior Cup in Martell-Val Martello. To come here and win in my first IBU Cup week is unbelievable,” said Grotian.

Johansson collected her first-ever IBU Cup podium and further strengthened her trajectory towards the Sweden’s world cup team. Hinz, who had a difficult summer, was happy with her steady progress.

“My skiing was much improved today and step by step and I am getting my shape back,” said Hinz.

Hannah Auchentaller of Italy was fourth, 12 seconds behind the winner. Anna Gandler of Austria was fifth, 16.3 seconds back and Marte Krakstad Johansen of Norway sixth sixth, 21.1 seconds behind Grotian. They each missed once.

IBU Cup 1 Idre Fjall - Sprints 2

Ski speed brings Stroemsheim another win

Stroemsheim missed once, but clocked the second fastest skiing time and went unmatched in range and shooting time, for his third win and fourth podium in as many days, with 24:44.5.

“It was a great week for me. Today I showed my best performance, with a very balanced combination of fast skiing and rapid and focused shooting,” said Stroemsheim.

Stroemsheim was 13.1 seconds faster than Philipp Horn of Germany who scored his first clean sheet of the season. Horn was third in the first sprint and leaves Idre Fjall in good form before the weeks where he will seek a breakthrough to Germany’s world cup team. Andrejs Rastorgujevs of Latvia was third, with one miss, 22.2 seconds behind the winner from Norway.

Aleksander Fjeld Andersen shot 10/10 and finished fourth, 23.5 seconds behind Stroemsheim. Remi Broutier of France, with 10/10, was fifth, 32.2 seconds behind the winner. Sverre Dahlen Aspens of Noway completed the Flower podium; he finished sixth, just 0.3 seconds behind Broutier.

Photo: Nisse Schmidt; IBU Photopool