Prima: I worked well in shooting, but at a distance there is uncertainty

Ukrainian Artem Prima commented on his starting race in the 2023/24 biathlon season – the classic mixed relay.

“I went into the race in a positive, good mood – this is my first start. There were a few hopes for him better, I thought that everything would work out during shooting and on the move. But I’m a little dissatisfied with the progress. On the first lap I didn’t feel very familiar. From the first meters I had to work to the maximum – and so on until the very end, because I was not strong enough at the distance.”

“The shooting was good, I worked without additional ammunition. This is great, but there is uncertainty about the distance. Maybe, [ибо] This is the first start, it is difficult to start it. The second, third start – and then we scatter. I hope that’s the problem.”

“The first round all the teams were together, the second they stretched out a little. And at the last – the Estonians, the team of Lithuania and Canada. A group of guys caught up with me, and we worked with them. I tried not to let them go, because I was not in my best condition. I tried to endure until the end in order to convey [эстафету] Anton is in the group, because everyone knows that it’s easier to hold on and run.”

“Next starts? We will talk to the coaches. I hope for a sprint, and then from there – [на] getting into the hunt. We’ll see later.”

“How ready are you for the season? It’s hard to say yet, this is just the first start. As he passed, so he passed. Let’s analyze it, where are the problems, what and how. And we will try to show normal competition.”

The 2023/24 season started today in Östersund. In the single mixed relay, Ukraine took 10th place, but in the classic mixed relay, the blue-yellows finished eighth.

Tomorrow the men’s and women’s individual races will take place in Sweden. The Ukrainian national team will field five biathletes in both disciplines. Prima was not included in the blue-yellow entry list for the men’s 20 km race.