No Norwegians? The 1st stage of Biathlon World Cup shows unexpected results

The first stage of the new Biathlon World Cup season saw the men's sprint race on Friday, December 6. Sensationally, not a single Norwegian made it to the top three, while two representatives of the Ukrainian national team not only finished in the top 15 but also became one of the few who completed the course without a single miss.

The participants faced severe weather conditions in Kontiolahti, Finland, namely sharp wind gusts, which interfered with the shooting. As a result, only 18 out of 106 biathletes who started the race were able to overcome two firing lines, knocking out all 10 targets.

Ukrainians Vitaliy Mandzyn and Anton Dudchenko showed not only accurate shooting but also a very good sprint overall. As a result, both of our athletes finished in the top 15.

Emilien Jacquelin from France won the race. He was 19 seconds ahead of Sweden's Sebastian Samuelsson, while German Philipp Nawrath came third. American Campbell Wright securing a fourth place was a real surprise as he was followed by five biathletes from Norway, who are usually in the top.

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