KHANTY-MANSIYSK, Russia (AP)—Germany ended the biathlon season by winning the mixed relay world championship title Sunday in the final event on the World Cup calendar.
The German team of veteran Simone Hauswald, double Olympic gold medalist Magdalena Neuner, Simon Schempp and Arnd Peiffer finished the race in 1 hour, 19 minutes, 59.5 seconds. Ole Einar Bjoerndalen anchored Norway to the silver medal, finishing 1 minute, 24.0 seconds behind.
Sweden came in third, 1:30.8 back.
KONTIOLAHTI, Finland (AP)—Darya Domracheva of Belarus won her first World Cup race on Saturday, the 7.5-kilometer sprint.
Domracheva won in 21 minutes, 17.5 seconds. Olga Zaitseva of Russia had a chance to overtake Domracheva on the last portion of the skiing leg but she could not match Domracheva’s pace. Kati Wilhelm of Germany was third.
Overall World Cup leader Magdalena Neuner of Germany was fifth, and increased her advantage to 10 points over Helen Jonsson of Sweden.
KONTIOLAHTI, Finland (AP)—Favorites Norway and Germany have dominated the first of the season’s two World Cup mixed relays.
Norway’s quartet of Ann-Kristin Aafedt Flatland, Olympic champion Tora Berger, and Halvard Hanevold and Tarjei Boe contesting the men’s stages, finished in one hour, 14 minutes and 55 seconds.
The German team of Kati Wilhelm, double gold medalist at the Vancouver Olympics Magdalena Neuner, Erik Lesser and Simon Schempp was 5.4 seconds behind. Italy was third Friday, 35.6 seconds behind.
Over 100,000 people enjoyed the German Friendly Fan Fest in Vancouver / Image: Frank May
WHISTLER (Reuters) - Ageless biathlon virtuoso Ole Einar Bjoerndalen is leaving Vancouver already planning his assault on the Winter Games' all-time medal record.
SportsThe 36-year-old Norwegian won a gold and a silver at the Vancouver Games, boosting his career haul to 11 medals, one shy of the record by cross country skier Bjorn Daehlie.
"I don't know so much about Sochi," said the man regarded by many as the best biathlete ever.
Whistler (AFP) - Bronze medallist Martina Beck told on Tuesday how she swapped a coffee for a Winter Olympic medal after team-mate Magdalena Neuner gave her the chance to race for Germany in the biathlon relay.
Having won two golds and a silver at the Winter Olympics, Neuner announced her shock decision on Sunday that having won the mass start, she was finishing her Vancouver campaign early and would not compete in Tuesday's 4x6km relay.
Whistler (AFP) - Russia won the women's relay biathlon gold medal on Tuesday ahead of second-placed France while Germany - minus star performer Magdalena Neuner - finished with bronze.
The Russian team's winning time was 1hr 9min 36.3sec as France's Sandrine Bailly produced a brilliant effort on the final leg to beat Germany to the silver as the French finished at one hour 10min 09.1sec.
VANCOUVER (Reuters) - Canada's Olympic inquisition was put on ice after an extraordinary day of raw emotion at the Vancouver Winter Games on Tuesday.
SportsThe planned inquiry into the host-nation's failure to win an avalanche of gold medals was suddenly forgotten as Canadians experienced joy and relief tinged by grief.
Ashleigh McIvor triumphed in the women's ski cross to give Canada gold but her victory was overshadowed by the relief of the men's ice hockey team surviving to fight another day and the brave performance of figure skater Joannie Rochette.
WHISTLER (AP) -- Olga Zaitseva kept looking around for a Russian flag to wave as she entered the biathlon stadium, ready to start her celebration early.
She never got the flag, but there was no way she could miss out on the gold.
Whistler (AFP) - Germany's biathlon pin-up Magdalena Neuner has taken herself out of the running for a third gold medal and given up her place for Tuesday's Olympic 4x6km biathlon relay.
The 23-year-old claimed her second gold of the Games when she won the 12.5km mass start on Sunday but announced she would pull out of the team relay to give others a chance to medal.
