2008/2009 Total Score winner and Oestersund resident Helena Ekholm reflects on a relay-packed opening weekend, the home team’s performance, and previews the first individual battles in Sweden.

The 2025/2026 season opened for the first time with the Women’s and Men’s Relays, followed by both Mixed Relays. With several teams testing alternative line-ups right from the start, the weekend offered a mix of opportunities and risks. Early relay experimentation affects athletes very differently: some gain confidence from a strong team performance, while others may feel unsettled if their own leg didn’t go as planned. Much depends on an athlete’s role within the team and how their personal race aligned with the group’s success. Still, a good relay at the start of the season can provide valuable peace of mind before the first individual races — and ideally, everyone found at least something positive to carry forward.

The first major individual challenge is the Individual, a competition with a completely different rhythm — slower, more controlled, and more punishing. Traditionally the opening test in the long fight for the Total Score, it has often favoured rising talents who thrived under its structured pace. Think of Sturla Holm Laegreid a few seasons ago, as well as Niklas Hartweg and Ella Halvarsson last winter. At the same time, the format puts extra pressure on the biggest names, since every miss is costly and difficult to recover from.

Throughout the weekend, Oestersund delivered shifting conditions. The wind swirled as it pleased. Snow changed from icy to soft, and even some of the fastest skiers struggled to maintain their footing. Such conditions can be very tricky: athletes cannot see the dangerous patches on the track, and the uncertainty alone disrupts rhythm and confidence. With this being the season opener, the body also uses more energy than usual as it readjusts to race stress after months of training.

The women’s field also felt the absence of Elvira Oeberg, who had shown excellent form during the summer and in the test competitions in Idre Fjall but fell sick just before the weekend. A pre-season illness can sap energy from an athlete who was perfectly fine-tuned. Still, Elvira has managed similar situations before — most notably at the World Championships in Lenzerheide, where she adjusted her pacing after illness and still managed to win the Mass Start. That experience will help Elvira, I believe. The fact that her first race will be a 15 km Individual can either relieve pressure or drain her quickly depending on how fully she has recovered.

Meanwhile, last year’s Total Score winner Franziska Preuß is still nursing a hand injury and is forced to use an adapted standing position — something that visibly affected her in the women’s relay. Competing while slightly hindered is incredibly difficult; even a small technical adjustment to stance or rifle setup is a significant mental stressor. I consider myself fortunate never to have faced such an issue during my own career. I hope Franziska can return to full strength soon.

On the men’s side, with the Boe brothers absent, several athletes stepped into the spotlight. Campbell Wright stood out with exceptional ski speed, while Tommaso Giacomel also delivered a strong performance. But the most complete impression came from Sebastian Samuelsson, who combined his known ski speed with near-perfect shooting. If he can maintain this balance and avoid illness or setbacks, he has everything required to remain in the Total Score fight until the final races of the season.