Biathlon World Cup 2 (2015-2016) - Women's Team Race (4x6km Relay)
13.12.2015, Ridnaun
Nechkasova Takes Ridnaun Pursuit
Galina Nechkasova of Russia made up for yesterday's fourth place by winning the 10 K pursuit with just one penalty in 31:49.1. France's Chloe Chevalier had one penalty in prone and finished second, 19.6 seconds behind. Sprint winner Iryna Varvynets of Ukraine couldn't score her second victory, finishing third with three penalties, 26.0 seconds back.
Special
Ridnaun pleased everyone with great weather conditions for all of the competition days. Sun, clear skies, no wind, beautiful view and a hard track; that's what makes this Cup perfect and special. Yesterday's second and sixth places Anais Chevalier and Olga Vilukhina, along with four others, did not start the competition today.
Not One, Then Another
Taking the lead after the second prone, Nechkasova, just 2 seconds from the podium yesterday, felt confident on the tracks and shooting range. She had just one penalty after the first standing, but it did not affect her first position. If not one Chevalier, then another will get on the podium. Anais' sister Chloe made a great comeback from the 18th place to second. Due to her great speed and just one penalty in the first prone she left the last standing stage in second position and kept it to the finish. Bib number 1 Varvynets started the competition with three mistakes on the prone stages, which pushed her down to the seventh position. But clean standing shooting returned her for the podium battle and she finished third.
Victoria Slivko with two penalties finished fourth, 54.1 seconds back. Former World cup regular, Olympic and World Champion Svetlana Sleptsova with one penalty after each prone stage, moved from 24th to fifth at finish, 1:18.4 back. Another Russian who made a great comeback was Olga Iakushova; with four misses she went up from 25th to the sixth, 1:22.6 behind.
Wooden Medal Barrier
Olga Poltoranina of Kazakhstan was the only woman of the 54 starters to shoot clean.
Nechkasova was glad to finally get a podium place, but not a "wooden" medal: "I have a great motivation this year and with each race it grows. Today I finally crossed my "wooden medal barrier". On the track and shooting range I felt confident and want to keep that feeling. Today was a hard race with a tough last leg, but I saw that there were no rivals behind me and I could easily go to the finish line".
