One of the amazing things about sport is that it is about people and not about prior performance.
Sure, we know about the top performers, but to see what Ukraine’s Dmytro Pidruchnyi did at the World Biathlon Championships in Oestersund (SWE) is why sport is so great.
Now 27, he came into the World Championships never having won a World Cup medal, let along a World Championships medal. He had a great start in the Sprint, finishing fourth – equaling his career-best finish – behind superstar winner Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR).
In Sunday’s 12.5 km Pursuit, Boe was again out in front, but suffered an uncharacteristic three misses on the shooting range and that let Pidruchnyi take the lead with 2.5 km left. Boe couldn’t catch him and the Ukranian crossed first and into dreamland.
“For the moment I cannot believe that I won a medal, a Gold medal. I do not believe that I could steal a medal from such a person as Johannes,” he said afterwards. “Actually, the last loop was really crazy for me. I was trying to do maximum. I was trying to battle as hard as I could, because Johannes was behind me and he is really strong.”
The women’s event winners were more familiar, as three-time Olympic gold medalist Anastasiya Kuzmina (SVK) won – surprisingly – her first career World Championships gold medal in the Sprint and Germany’s Denise Herrmann – a four-tine winner on the World Cup tour – won her first Worlds gold in the 10 km Pursuit.
The World Championships continue this week, with the men’s 20 km Individual race on Tuesday. Summaries so far:
IBU World Championships
Oestersund (SWE) ~ 7-17 March 2019
(Full results here)
Men’s 10 km Sprint: 1. Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR), 24:37.6 (1 penalty); 2. Alexander Loginov (RUS), +13.7 (0); 3. Quentin Fillon Maillet (FRA), +16.5 (0); 4. Dmytro Pidruchnyi (UKR), +16.8 (0); 5. Simon Desthieux (FRA), +24.8 (0); 6. Martin Fourcade (FRA), +32.5 (0); 7. Erlend Bjoentegaard (NOR), +34.8 (0); 8. Erik Lesser (GER), +44.7 (0). Also in the top 25: 22. Sean Doherty (USA), +1:32.1 (0).
Men’s 12.5 km Pursuit: 1. Pidruchnyi (UKR), 31:54.1 (2); 2. J.T. Boe (NOR), +8.3 (5); 3. Fillon Maillet (FRA), +17.7 (3); 4. Tarjei Boe (NOR), +18.1 (1); 5. Fourcade (FRA), +27.8 (2); 6. Andrejs Rastorgujevs (LAT), +40.8 (1); 7. Antonin Guigonnat (FRA), +47.3 (2); 8. Benjamin Weber (FRA), +47.8 (3). Also in the top 25: 20. Doherty (USA), +1:54.3 (2).
Women’s 7.5 km Sprint: 1. Anastasiya Kuzmina (SVK), 22:17.5; 2. Ingrid Tandrevold (NOR), +9.7; 3. Laura Dahlmeier (GER), +12.6; 4. Hanna Oeberg (SWE), +13.2; 5. Mona Brorsson (SWE), +21.7; 6. Denise Herrmann (GER), +23.9; 7. Marketa Davidova (CZE), +26.5; 8. Ekaterina Yurlova-Percht (RUS), +31.4. Also in the top 25: 11. Clare Egan (USA), +33.3.
Women’s 10 km Pursuit: 1. Herrmann (GER), 31:45.9 (2); 2. Tiril Eckhoff (NOR), +31.4 (2); 3. Dahlmeier (GER), +31.6 (1); 4. Marte Olsbu Roeiseland (NOR), +1:35.0 (4); 5. Oeberg (SWE), +1:35.0 (5); 6. Kuzmina (SVK), +1:41.3 (7); 7. Brorsson (SWE), +1:47.2 (4); 8. Ingrid Tandrevold (NOR), +2:01.2 (4). Also in the top 25: 12. Egan (USA), +2:44.3 (5); … 25. Susan Dunklee (USA), +3:27.6 (3).
Mixed Relay (2×6 km/2x 7.5 km): 1. Norway (Roeiseland, Eckhoff, Boe, Christiansen), 1:17:41.4; 2. Germany (Hinz, Herrmann, Peiffer, Doll), +13.1; 3. Italy (Vittozzi, Wierer, Hofer, Windisch), +1:09.6; 4. Russia, +1:32.4; 5. Sweden, +1:35.3; 6. Czech Rep., +1:51.3; 7. Ukraine, +2:27.2; 8. France, +2:41.2. Also: 19. United States (Susan Dunklee, Clare Egan, Sean Doherty, Leif Nordgren), +7:21.2.
