Biathlon World Cup 1 (2015-2016) - Women 15 km Race

BMW IBU Biathlon World Cup 1 (2015-2016) - Women 15 km Race
03.12.2015, Ostersund

First Career Win for Dorothea Wierer


Fast Skis and Clean Shooting

Italy's Dorothea Wierer shot clean and flew around the tough Östersund tracks to claim her first career win in tonight's women's 15K individual in 42:17. Second place went to Marie Dorin Habert of France with two penalties, 14.1 seconds back. With a furious rush in the last loop, late starter clean-shooting Olena Pidhrushna of Ukraine claimed third, 37.8 seconds back.
Norway's Tiril Eckhoff finished fourth, also with two penalties, 43.3 seconds back. Gabriela Soukalova of Czech Republic finished fifth, with a single penalty, 48.7 seconds back, while sixth went to clean-shooting Nadezhda Skardino of Belarus, 1:04.4 back.

Clear; Light Winds for 103 Women

A clear evening in Östersund for this women's 15K, but unlike last night, the wind was negligible and less wind-blown shots.

Soukalova took the early lead with her start number 5, three clean shooting stages found her in control at that point. Yet nothing was assured as most of the top women followed farther back in the field of 103 women.

The first prone saw Finland's Kaisa Mäkäräinen shooting clean to lead; followed by Dorin Habert, Eckhoff and Soukalova. As soon as the women hit the first standing, the positions started to shift. Fanny Birkeland of Norway dropped all five targets for the second time, grabbing a short-lived lead over Soukalova and Wierer, both of whom remained clean. Although Dorin Habert had two penalties in this stage, her skis were on fire and she was gaining time on the front of the field.

The top 10 started to take shape in the second prone. Now it was Soukalova with Wierer just 3.5 seconds back; Eckhoff 25 seconds back and Dorin Habert now 1:16 back.

Last Standing Stage: Wierer Takes Control

Typical of this shooting-based competition, the final standing stage would be decisive. Soukalova was first up; she hit four and missed the last shot, dropping her form the top spot. Dorin Habert cleaned to gain the lead temporarily, as Wierer cleaned quickly a bit later and left with a 46 second gap on the field. The last loop would decide the last podium spot as Wierer was clearly the winner followed by Dorin Habert. Late starter Pidhrushna had four clean stages and flew around the 3K loop after stage four and crossed several seconds faster than Eckhoff to earn third place.

Wierer Happy for Team

Wierer commented on her big day. "I do not think the first win has hit me yet, but happy to win, not just for me but for our team. I think I am happier for them then for myself...I was a little sick last week so I was not so brilliant on the skis today, but it was okay. The shooting was good though; I turned off the head and just shot like in training. I have never had a 4 times zero in a15K."

Watching Vitkova

Double World Champion Dorin Habert said, "I was in shape on my skis; they were very good. The two misses on the first standing was not so good but the 3 times zero was good. I was watching Veronika Vitkova next to me when I missed and was not watching my own targets!"

Happier Each Day

Pidhrushna has been away from biathlon since the Sochi OWG; this was her first time back on the World Cup circuit in over 18 months. "I was very glad to come back to biathlon. I felt happier and happier each day in training and very happy to be on the podium today...I came to each stage today thinking that I could do it and I was very relieved when the last target closed."





biathlon women femmes coupe du monde 2016 ski shoot gabriela soukalova dorothea wierer
biathlon women femmes coupe du monde 2016 ski shoot gabriela soukalova dorothea wierer
biathlon women femmes coupe du monde 2016 ski shoot gabriela soukalova dorothea wierer
biathlon women femmes coupe du monde 2016 ski shoot gabriela soukalova dorothea wierer
biathlon women femmes coupe du monde 2016 ski shoot gabriela soukalova dorothea wierer
biathlon women femmes coupe du monde 2016 ski shoot gabriela soukalova dorothea wierer