Johansen and Oeverby take Pursuits in Obertilliach

Norway's Marthe Krakstad Johansen and Mats Oeverby won the Pursuit at the IBU Cup 7 in Obertilliach. Pursuit Score wins went to Oeverby and Ocean Michelon of France, who finished second today.

Finding her flow, Johansen wins

Johansen missed one shot in the first standing stage and won in 32:19.3. Michelon, with 18/20, finished second, 52.7 seconds behind, and won in the Pursuit Score standings. Teresa Vinklarkova of Czechia, with 19/20, finished third, 1:23.5 behind Johansen, for her first-ever IBU Cup podium.

The Winner’s Words - Marthe Krakstad Johansen

After I started the season really well in the World Cup in Oestersund, I contracted C-19, and it took my body many weeks to fully recover. Today, I felt completely rejuvenated. I knew shooting would decide today as the time differences from the Sprint were small. I am very happy about the win.

WATCH HIGHLIGHTS HERE

Aasne Skrede (17/20; 1:31.3 behind Johansen), Ragnhild Femsteinevik (12/20; 1:56.2 behind the winner), and Karoline Erdal (15/20; 1:57.3 behind Johansen ), all from Norway, took the places four, five and six.

Jenny Enodd, 9th today, remains the Total Score leader with 675 points, 43 ahead of Michelon.

Sprint - Pursuit double for Oeverby

Despite missing four shots, Mats Oeverby of Norway won in the Pursuit in Obertilliach and doubled down on his triumph in the Sprint. After his first-ever Sprint-Pursuit double, he also clinched the Pursuit Score title.

Oeverby opened the Pursuit with a 40-second advantage from the Sprint. He missed one shot in the first prone and first standing stage and two in the last standing shoot, with the Pursuit Score title at stake. He won in 31:54.9, eighth seconds ahead of Martin Nevland (18/20) and 14.6 seconds ahead of Sindre Fjellheim Jorde (16/20), both of his teammates.

The Winner's Words - Mats Oeverby

My performance was not good today: I made too many mistakes, with four misses. Luckily, I had a big enough time cushion for the final lap as I didn't want to sprint at the end. But I won and clinched the Pursuit Score title. I am very proud of that. I have also annulled Johan's (Olav Botn) lead in the Total Score.

WATCH HIGHLIGHTS HERE

Joergen Saeter of Norway (17/20) finished in fourth place, 29.1 seconds behind the winner. Danilo Riethmueller of Germany, with 19/20, fought back from the 22nd position after the Sprint to fifth today, 38.3 back. Emilien Claude of France, with 17/20, scored his first IBU Cup Flower ceremony finish of the winter with sixth place, 58.3 seconds behind Oeverby.

Oeverby has 1,135 points as the joint-first with Johan Olav Botn atop the Total Score standings. Nevland is third, 162 points behind.