“It was a terrible experience”

The steps were heavy and the look was empty.

Sebastian Samuelsson repeated the same words again and again in the interview zone among almost 20,000 screaming biathlon fans in the Olympic Arena in Antholz.

– It was a terrible experience.

That which bA good start for the Swedish biathletes at the Olympics in Italy began with a nightmare for one of the sport’s biggest stars.

Sebastian Samuelsson stood out as first in the mixed relay and started well. But nothing worked at all when shooting standing. There were barriers, bone scars and two penalties – and the day was ruined.

– I can’t handle standing shooting at all. It’s just too bad.

It didn’t help that Martin Ponsiluoma, Anna Magnusson and Hanna Öberg, who was the best in her division, ensured that Sweden climbed from 18th place at the first change to fifth place at the finish.

It was far too far for the medal trio France, Italy and Germany. And in the mixed zone, Sebastian Samuelsson tried to explain what went wrong.

– There is a lot of tension, it (the gun) moves a lot when I come in. I get a few early obstacles and it makes me very stressed, he says.

Before the Olympic Games began, there was a lot of talk about the altitude (1,600 meters).

Was it the height, the load – or the head height?

Here is the answer that worries the continuation of the Olympics:

– No. The head. The head, repeats Samuelsson.

An Olympic premiere is something different than a World Cup race and the routes in Antholz are not among the 28-year-old’s favorite routes. At the same time, the Swede has 13 championship medals to his name and knows he can do even better, he says.

– I think I’m coping much better with it.

The biathlete, who made his breakthrough at the 2018 Olympics, is used to being able to hold a box in front of journalists. On Sunday he is reserved and his answers are short.

– That doesn’t help with self-confidence, it doesn’t. At the same time, there will be competition again on Tuesday and it’s simply a matter of forgetting about it and looking forward.

Actually, he has I was in a similar situation before, just three years ago.

The 2023 World Championships in Oberhof, Germany began with the star loosening a screw on his rifle and pushing Sweden out of the medals in the mixed relay – but ended with him becoming world champion in the mass start.

Can you take some of this with you now?

– Yes, well, I can, I know I’ve turned it around before, says Samuelsson.

– But back then maybe it was easier when it was the material that was messed up, now it was between the ears that was wrong.

However, both teammates and head coach Johannes Lukas Oberhof are a role model they can look to on Sunday.

– 2023 was the best championship we have ever done, so what happens on the first day doesn’t really say much about how it will turn out in the end, says Öberg, while Lukas adds:

– Sebastian has been in situations like this before.

He himself says that it was easier to move on back then – when it was the material that messed up – than today, when it’s more in your head?

“It probably wasn’t that easy in Oberhof either, I probably remember that evening,” says Johannes Lukas and laughs.

– There are things that happen in biathlon. Now it’s important to give him some perspective and talk about what we’re going to do in the next few days.

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