As the crowds cheer at the finish line for German biathlon skier Laura Dahlmeier, she skis to victory for the gold in the women’s 10 km pursuit event at the IBU Biathlon World Cup, at the Alpensia Biathlon Center in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province, on March 4.
A series of races combining the intensity of cross-country skiing and the action of shooting kicked off in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province, the host city for next year’s PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
With less than a year left to go until the Winter Olympics, the IBU Biathlon World Cup kicked off at the Alpensia Biathlon Center on March 2, with some 488 athletes from 28 countries competing for places on the podium.
The total score of this season’s IBU Biathlon World Cup is particularly important, as the country rankings will determine if the athletes will get to compete at next year’s Winter Olympic Games. Countries that place within the top 20 will qualify to send four athletes to the Winter Olympic in 2018.
German biathlon skier Laura Dahlmeier takes aim at the targets during the women’s 10 km pursuit event at the IBU Biathlon World Cup, at the Alpensia Biathlon Center in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province, on March 4.
The women’s 10 km pursuit race took place on March. 4, with 60 athletes from 22 countries competing for the No. 1 spot. The athletes, with rifles slung on their backs, raced the 2-km course five times in succession. They stopped every lap at the shooting range to hit five targets, half in prone lying flat on the ground, and half in standing position. Holding their rifles close to their chests, the athletes held their breath and steadied their heart rates as they aimed at their targets, some 50 m away. Any time they missed their targets, they had to ski around a 150-m penalty loop before resuming the course.
Germany’s Laura Dahlmeier, the season’s leader, crossed the finish line in 27 minutes and 58 seconds to win the gold in the women’s 10 km pursuit race. Finland’s Kaisa Makarainen followed 1 minute 12 seconds behind her to win second place. France’s Anais Bescond came in third.
Gold medalist Laura Dahlmeier of Germany (center), silver medalist Kaisa Makarainen of Finland(left) and Anais Bescond pose for a picture at the women’s 10 km pursuit medal ceremony at the IBU Biathlon World Cup, at the Alpensia Biathlon Center in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province, on March 4.
“I shot my rifle 20 times and hit all my targets during the competition. I’m very happy about this result. I felt good from the first few meters all the way to the finish line,” said Dahlmeier on the outcome of the race.
“I missed my third shot and made some mistakes, but my motivation was still very high,” said Makarainen, who won silver. “I tried to challenge Laura, who was ahead of me, but she wasn’t easy to beat. She kept my eyes on the finish line,” she said.
Two naturalized Korean athletes, Anna Frolina and Ekaterina Avvakumova, also competed in the race, proudly wearing the Korean flag. The two came in 17th and 45th, respectively.
By Lee Hana
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Jeon Han, Korea.net Photographer
hlee10@korea.kr
Korea’s Ekaterina Avvakumova races uphill during the women’s 10 km pursuit race at the IBU Biathlon World Cup, at the Alpensia Biathlon Center in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province, on March 4.
Athletes lie prone at the shooting range with their rifles ready to shoot the targets during the women’s 10 km pursuit event at the IBU Biathlon World Cup, at the Alpensia Biathlon Center in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province, on March 4.
