Markéta Davidová of the Czech Republic went into Saturday's women's 7.5km sprint in Kontiolahti in seventh place, 24.8 seconds off the lead, but gradually closed five targets and came away first. From that point on, the 27-year-old racer went on to claim victory in a time of 20:39.7 without any problems. She was tenth in the mass start race today. After three penalty laps, she lost 56.6 seconds to the winner Elvira Oeberg of Sweden.
David's first win since she dominated the 15km individual race in Oestersund less than three years ago, two years since her last podium finish, was hugely significant. "It's unbelievable. I think it's been like two years since I was on the podium, I almost forgot what it was like. It's really great and I'm really happy."
David, who was number 24, had to wait for the rest of the field before confirming her victory. "I didn't check because I knew that all the big racers would end up being more. I was thinking I'd probably be in tenth place or something." After two seasons of fighting for podiums, she admitted that winning "is truly exceptional. I think that now on this (to win) I'm not able to think, but tomorrow it will be as if it really happened."
Sweden's Elvira Oeberg moved from ninth place to second place after two mistakes in the standing position with a loss of 8.8 seconds. The second place moves her into the yellow jersey for today's mass start race.
Home Suvi Minkkinen improved her personal best from 8th place at the 2023 IBU World Championships in the 15 km individual event and finished third, her first ever podium finish, with a clear shot at 11.9 seconds. She called the podium at her home stadium "unbelievable. It's an amazing feeling. The fans were really loud... I think I was able to give everything to skiing... It's my eighth season in the World Cup; (podium) better late than never!"
Germany's Franziska Preuss also shot clean and finished fourth, 4 seconds back. Norway's Karoline Offigstad Knotten shot cleanly in fifth place, 15.3 seconds behind.
Nineteen-year-old German sensation Julia Tannheimer finished sixth and improved her personal best from 15th place in the 2024 Ruhpolding Sprint to her first ever Flower Festival by 21.1 seconds. After five penalty laps in the short individual, Tannheimer shot clear: "After the individual, I had a little chat with my coach; he gave me a tip on shooting standing up. I did really well in practice yesterday, I gained some confidence and it all worked out pretty well today... I never imagined it would work out so well today."
Sprint (7.5 km): 1. Davidova (CZ) 20:39.7 (0 laps), 2. E. Öberg (Sweden) -8.8 (2), 3. Minkkinen (Finland) -11.9 (0), 4. Preuss (Germany) -12.0 (1), 5. Knotten (Norway) -15.3 (0), 6. Tannheimer (Germany) -21.1 (0), ... 20. Voborníková -54,3 (0), 55. Jislová -1:45,4 (2), 73. Paternal -2:20,7 (3), 76. Charvátová (all Czech Republic) -2:36,8 (5).
Mass start (12,5 km): 1. E. Oeberg (Sweden) 35:58.6 (2), 2. Simon (France) -16.2 (2), 3. Preuss -19.1 (2), 4. Voigt -19.9 (0), 5. Tannheimer (all Germany) -20.1 (1), 6. Wierer (Italy) -25.3 (1), ...10. Davidova (BLACK) -56.6 (3).
Overall standings (after 3 of 21 races): 1. E. Oeberg 230, 2. Preuss 170, 3. Jeanmonnot (Fr.) 151, 4. Davidova 132, 5. Minkkinen (Fin.) 126, 6. Halvarsson (Sweden) 114, ...35. Voborníková 21, 43. Jislová 17, 47. Charvátová 12, 50. Paternal (all Czech Republic) 9
biathlonworld/ gnews - RoZ
PHOTO - IBU/Romans Koksarovs, Nordic Focus/Leo Authamayou
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