Biathlon Tiril Eckhoff only took his first World Cup victory of the season: “I was tired but lucky”

Kontiolahti

Tiril Eckhoff only took his first win of the season in the World Biathlon Cup on Sunday.

The Norwegian was number one in the chase race in Kontiolahti, where he managed to lose more than 40 seconds of his lead in the last shooting position.

Eckhoff circled two fines at the same time as the pursuers Denise Herrmann and Anais Chevalier-Bouchet tried to reach him with a quick shot. The German Herrmann collapsed into one bomb and the French Chevalier-Bouchet into as many as three.

Italian Dorothea Wierer instead, he shot cleanly and rose to second place. He lost to Eckhoff in 16 seconds. Herrmann, the winner of the sprint, who finished first in the chase, was third, 19.5 seconds from the top.

“I was tired but lucky. I didn’t get the best feel for the last shots. I was a little careless, ”Eckhoff described his first place in the 27th World Cup in his entire career.

Former cross-country skier from Sweden Stina Nilsson went after the chase in third place. Less than two years of sport training were seen in the four-shooting range race.

The 2018 cross-country sprint Olympic champion shot six fines and dropped to 20th place.

“Other women are so much more experienced than me. In third place in Saturday’s sprint, I’m super happy, ”Nilsson said.

Finland Mari Eder left the ninth farm hopefully chasing. The good placement melted in the first two reclining positions to a total of three passes.

The first vertical shot went clean but the second came as many as four huts. Eder was also the slowest shooter in the entire race with his seven bombs. He dropped to 42nd, three minutes and 47 seconds from the top.

“Typical of me when I set out to correct my posture from a hard strain,” Eder explained of the disaster at the last stand.

“However, this doesn’t go as badly under the skin as in a team race.”

In the opening portion of Thursday’s post, Eder went on a fine lapse after three spare cartridges and skied, in his own words, “in the aisle”.

Eder was once again asked if he had competed in Kontiolahti for the last time in the World Cup.

“Don’t try now. I’ll tell you by midsummer at the latest, ”Eder said of his career in the 2007 World Cup.

Eder expected much more from the Olympics than he has received from it. He broke all the physical test records during his career in the fall.

“At one point, I thought they might show up more in the results. You have to be okay during the Olympic year. Women ski incredibly much harder this season than before. The pace is fast and the equipment is moving forward, ”Eder said.

Swan Suvi Minkkinen became the best female shooter in Finland on Sunday, at least for a while.

As usual, 27-year-old Minkkinen shot well and quickly. He was the 13th fastest shooter in the race with two fines.

Combined with the pace of skiing, he sidelined the second best finish of his career in the chase: 24th. He was 25th in the sprint, but even a small promotion is always ahead.

At his best, Minkkinen has been in the 18th chase in Ruhpolding this season.

“I haven’t raised my investment in the pursuit very many times. I thought a little bit that it would be cool to get into the top ten for the first time. I have made tough chases before. ”

Season in the World Cup, Minkkinen has 120 points, with five personal races left. Last season, he scored a total of 24 Cup points.

“For many years, I have been striving for the level to stabilize in the top 30. This season, those investments have come. Tells me I’m moving forward. It’s nice to succeed and challenge Maria, ”Minkkinen said.

Teams from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine were absent from Kontiolahti.

“Not all of them have always been before me. During the race, I can’t think about who’s there, ”said Minkkinen.