Biathlon-Swede Samuelsson sweats it out in medal bid

MILAN, Feb 3 - Sebastian Samuelsson has been working up a sweat as he seeks to fill the void left by the retirement of Norwegian Johannes Thingnes Boe, raising his temperature to try to create an advantage he hopes will make him the best in the field at Milano Cortina. 

Taking part in his third Olympics, the 28-year-old Swede has been piling on the layers ahead of hour-long workouts, shedding up to three litres of sweat each time in preparation for the Games. 

“It’s a way to increase blood volume, and in turn increase the production of red blood cells. The goal is similar to altitude training, but the process is different - it’s about improving oxygen transport in the body," Samuelsson said. 

“Cyclists were first with this, and we saw it ahead of the Tokyo (2020) Olympics when athletes wanted to acclimatise to the heat. They discovered these additional effects and, even for those of us who don’t compete in hot conditions, it’s proven beneficial.”

Samuelsson won a gold medal in the 4x7.5km relay at the Pyeongchang Games in 2018, and he picked up a silver when he came second to Frenchman Martin Fourcade in the 12.5km pursuit race. 

At the Beijing Games four years later, Fourcade's retirement opened the way for Thingnes Boe to take over as the dominant figure in the sport, and the Norwegian bagged four golds and one bronze medal while his Swedish rival went home empty-handed. 

Thingnes Boe hung up his skis and rifle at the end of last season, and Samuelsson is hoping he will be the next man to reign supreme. 

“That would be really special, that’s what I’m striving for and what I want to achieve. In a way, it feels surreal, but I know I’m good enough to do it," he said. 

“Ever since I started competing in the World Cup, there’s always been one guy who was clearly better than everyone else. When those athletes disappear, it changes things. Without Johannes, it’s now definitely more open."

The biathlon competitions get underway on Sunday, and Samuelsson expects the men's races to be packed with intrigue thanks to the lack of a dominant figure. 

“It makes things more exciting and, of course, a bit easier. There’s maybe a slight sense of missing him (Thingnes Boe), he's been so dominant for so many years, and before him it was Fourcade, but new stories are always written.” REUTERS