Biathlon World Championships in Pyeongchang (South Korea)

The sporting competitions of the Biathlon World Championships in Pyeongchang, South Korea, began today, Saturday. The medals in the women’s and men’s sprints were awarded to kick off the championships. The sprint results also determine the starting order for tomorrow’s pursuit race, with competitors starting according to today’s time gaps.

Germany claimed a one-two finish in the women’s event, with Kati Wilhelm and Simone Hauswald, while Olga Zaitseva of Russia took bronze. In the run-up to the World Championships in Pyeongchang, the Russian team caused one of the biggest scandals in biathlon history. Three Russian biathletes—Dmitri Yaroshenko, Albina Akhatova and Yelena Yurieva—were caught doping. The three offenders were removed from this season’s results, allowing Kati Wilhelm to inherit Yurieva’s lead in the overall World Cup standings. The athletes found guilty also face bans of up to four years.

The men’s sprint took place after the women’s event and turned into a Norwegian championship with international participation. Norway swept the first four places. The exceptional athlete Ole Einar Bjørndalen was once again unbeatable, claiming his eleventh World Championship title at the start of the Biathlon World Championships in South Korea. His collection is also bolstered by countless medals from World Championship and Olympic races. Bjørndalen won in Pyeongchang over 10 kilometers, finishing 1.7 seconds ahead of his compatriot Lars Berger. Two more Norwegian biathletes, Halvard Hanevold and Alexander Os, finished third and fourth.