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(L-R) France's Julia Simon, Oceane Michelon, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and Julia Simon celebrate on the podium after the women's 4 x 6 km relay event of the IBU Biathlon World Cup in Oberhof. Hendrik Schmidt/dpa
Italy's Tommaso Giacomel survived six penalty laps to complete a dramatic sprint/pursuit double on a windy Saturday in Oberhof and with a third season success in a row moved to the top of the biathlon World Cup standings.
Giacomel seemed out of contention one minute off the pace with six missed targets after the third shooting but then shot clean when it mattered while his rivals faltered.
Thursday's sprint winner held on for first place 4.5 points ahead of Norway's Martin Uldal who seemed on course to victory but then missed three of his four targets in the last shooting.
Sebastian Samuelsson of Sweden was 8.8 seconds back in third, like Giacomel with six penalty laps.
"Everybody, including me felt six misses isn’t any good. I think I was not deserving to win today with my performance, but I actually win, so that’s it!” Giacomel said.
Those who did well in the shooting range gained plenty of positions from the sprint, with Ukraine's Dmytro Pidruchnyi rising from 41st to seventh just 20 seconds off the pace with one missed target.
Giacomel moved 51 points clear at the top of the World Cup, ahead of Norway's Johan-Olav Botn who was not in Oberhof due to illness.
“I will wear the yellow bib (next week) in Ruhpolding but I think the strongest biathlete at the moment is Johan-Olav. He is not here now. I would have rather wanted to gain the yellow bib on the field and not because he is sick," Giacomel said.
"That is a bit sad, but I am sure we will have many more fights in the next races.”
The victories in Germany are highly emotional for Giacomel as they are the first races since the death of his close Norwegian friend Sivert Guttorm Bakken on December 23.
He had dedicated the sprint success to Bakken, and will fly with the Norwegian team to Bakken's funeral on Tuesday in Lillehammer.
The women had a relay where the French team of Lou Jeanmonnot, Oceane Michelone, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and Julia Simon dominated from the start to finish for a comprehensive second season victory.
The world champions won almost one minute from Norway and hosts Germany placed third.
Sweden, who had won the last relay before Christmas, were out of contention when their first skier, Anna Magnussen, dropped her rifle in the first shooting and had trouble getting it to work. They recovered and finished fifth, close to three minutes off the pace.
The Oberhof events are completed on Sunday with a women's pursuit and men's relay.
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(L-R) France's Julia Simon, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, Oceane Michelon, and Julia Simon react after the women's 4 x 6 km relay event of the IBU Biathlon World Cup in Oberhof. Hendrik Schmidt/dpa
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(L-R) Germany's Selina Grotian, Julia Tannheimer, Janina Hettich-Walz, and Franziska Preuss react after the women's 4 x 6 km relay event of the IBU Biathlon World Cup in Oberhof. Hendrik Schmidt/dpa
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